


To Take Down an Emperor

by SirLoozElite



Series: Rebels: An Alternate Tale [4]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-01-22 15:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 47
Words: 154,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12484480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirLoozElite/pseuds/SirLoozElite
Summary: When an opportunity to destroy the imperial leadership presents itself, Ahsoka Tano must disobey orders and assemble a team for what is sure to be a suicide mission. Only one thing is certain... not everyone will survive!





	1. Meeting of the Minds

**Author's Note:**

> So here we are... the beginning of the end.  
> Welcome back to part four of my four part AU story. This is where eveything comes together. If you haven't read my previous stories, go and read them first or you might be lost as to what has happened so far.  
> Anyway, I expect this story to be longer than the past three combined, and it will take a while to finish. We are in for a marathon here people.  
> I hope you enjoy the opening, and feel free to comment.

The Lambda class shuttle landed with a resounding thud in the hanger day, the engines powering down from the long flight. 

Inside its bay, Grand Admiral Thrawn stood from his seat, ready to face the day ahead. One that would no doubt be full of politicking and arguing, as was the standard for most imperial meetings these days. 

Why the Emperor had insisted that Thrawn go ahead to analyse the situation first was beyond the Chiss, but Thrawn did not question. He was loyal to his Emperor, and would do his bidding. 

Even if it meant dealing with the likes of Tarkin, and other power hungry zealots. 

Thrawn didn’t know much about this top secret experimental project he had been sent to report on, only that it was some new kind of battle station, and that it was the pride and joy of Director Orson Krennic.

Thrawn had never met the man in person, only hearing news of him through rumours and hearsay. From what he had heard, Krennic sounded like just another power hungry despot. 

Exactly the sort of person Thrawn despised if he was honest. 

Still, they were allies against the growing rebellion. And whatever this battle station was was clearly important to the Emperor’s plans, otherwise he would not be coming to visit it personally. 

Thrawn’s attention was shifted as the ramp of the shuttle descended. It was time to face the welcoming committee. 

Proceeding to walk down the ramp with his usual gait, Thrawn was unsurprised to see what awaited. 

The hanger bay was chaos. Troopers and Officers ran about, trying to do some kind of duty. Various droids scuttled around, delivering information or just generally being a nuisance. 

And there, a short distance away and marching straight towards him were two human males. 

Thrawn recognized Tarkin immediately. The man reeked of arrogance and self-superiority. But he was competent enough, so the Emperor kept him around. 

The second man was shorter than Tarkin, and had peculiar fashion choice, not that Thrawn was an expert in that himself. The man sported a white uniform, much like his own, but seemed to have a billowing cape attached to his back. 

Thrawn resisted the urge to laugh at the sight of it. Who wore a cape like that?

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, it’s a please to finally meet you. I am Director Orson Krennic.”

Ah, so that’s who he was. Thrawn had to say he was surprised. When he had heard of this Krennic, he had envisioned someone a bit more… intimidating. 

Still, Thrawn was use to appearances being deceptive. 

“Yes Director, it is a pleasure to meet you to.” Thrawn replied, shaking the hand the Director presented to him. 

Behind Krennic, Tarkin rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. 

Barely three seconds in the same room and Thrawn already wanted to punch him. Oh well. 

“I trust the Emperor is with you?” Krennic’s eyes seemed to light up at the mention of the Emperor, as if he was some sort of child expecting praise. 

‘Just what exactly is this station?’ Thrawn thought. From space, it had the appearance of a small moon like construct. Perhaps a mobile headquarters for the Emperor? Or a garrison for the troops?

Regardless, it mattered little at the moment. No doubt Thrawn would find out in time. 

“I’m afraid not Director. The Emperor was preoccupied with personal issues on Coruscant. He will arrive within the fortnight however.”

Krennic’s face shrunk a little, before acceptance came over his face, as well as pride. 

“I understand Grand Admiral. In the meantime, I offer my hospitality to you and any companions you have brought with you.” 

Thrawn nodded. Krennic seemed polite enough. Perhaps Thrawn had misjudged him.

Tarkin chose that moment to speak up. 

“Colonel Yularen arrived this morning as well. We now merely await the Emperor and a few other of the Grand Moffs.”

Tarkin was talking about the annual imperial leadership meeting that they had every year, in which the key members of the imperial hierarchy all met to discuss plans and problems, as well as allocation of funding and resources. 

This would not be Thrawn’s first time the meetings, and while they were useful, they were not half tedious. 

Clearly however, it was Krennic’s first time being invited to such a meeting. 

“Yes, all should be in place for the ‘Meeting of the Moffs’. I am honoured to host the event this year.” Krennic spoke with enthusiasm. 

‘Meeting of the Moffs’ was some nickname given to the annual meeting that had emerged one day. Thrawn wasn’t sure where from, but it stuck. 

“The Emperor would not have honoured you this opportunity without good reason Director. You have clearly earned it.” Thrawn spoke, his attention solely on Krennic, ignoring the scowl from Tarkin. 

“Thank you Grand Admiral.” Krennic replied with a nod.

Thrawn broke eye contact with Krennic, taking another glimpse around the hanger bay of the battle station. 

The various troopers and officers were still going about their duties. Clearly Krennic valued efficiency. Thrawn could work with that. 

“No offensive but standing around chatting is not my idea of a warm welcome. Where can I put my things?” A sarcastic voice sounded from behind Thrawn, and the Chiss turned to look at the approaching figure. 

Thrawn had almost forgotten he had come along. 

“Director Krennic Governor Tarkin. This is the Inquisitor known as the Eighth Brother, and the personal agent of the Emperor himself.” Thrawn introduced the Terrelian Jango Jumper as he approached. 

Something about the Inquisitor made Thrawn’s skin crawl. Ever since he had shown up in the Imperial Palace, Sith holocron in hand, the Emperor had been dispatching him as his personal agent, welcoming back into the fold with open arms. 

But Thrawn had read the reports from Scarif. This Inquisitor had not only broken into a top secret compound, but had then killed the guards, and later another Inquisitor.

And yet the Emperor welcomed him back, in exchange for a Sith artefact. 

Every bone in Thrawn’s body told him not to trust the Inquisitor. But he was an agent of the Emperor, just as Thrawn was.

For now, he would play nice.

But he would still keep an eye on the Inquisitor, just in case. 

One thing was for sure. This meeting would be an interesting one. 

Thrawn only hoped that it would not diverge into the same petty squabbles it did every year. 

Sighing, Thrawn made to follow Krennic and Tarkin as they led them deeper into the battle station. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka Tano entered the control room of the Great Temple on Yavin Four, now the home of rebel central command. The temple itself was a marvel to behold, constructed by a long extinct culture. It was archaic and rustic, and thus a perfect fit for a rebel base. 

Since the destruction of Chopper Base on Atollon at the hands of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ahsoka and the remnants of Phoenix Squadron had relocated to Yavin Four, joining up with General Dodonna and Mon Mothma. Together, they continued their campaign to overthrow the empire, and restore democracy to the galaxy. 

But that wasn’t why she was present right now. An important meeting had been called, with all of the rebellion leaders being summoned. The reason for this… apparently one of her own Fulcrum agents had uncovered something big that needed addressing immediately. 

Ahsoka could only begin to fathom what it was. 

Entering the control room, she noticed the presence of Commander Sato and General Dodonna, talking in hushed tones. Behind them, Mon Mothma was running through a series of reports. 

“Commander Tano, so good to see you again.” A voice came from beside her. 

Ahsoka allowed a wide smile to arise on her face as she turned to face her agent, and the reason for this meeting. 

“Cassian, my friend. What have you got yourself into this time?”

Cassian Andor was a tall man, one who had seen many a battle. War had shaped his life for better or for worse, much like it had hers. It was no wonder then that they got along so well, and that he was her best Fulcrum agent. 

“You know us Ahsoka, always looking for trouble. And boy did we find it!” Cassian replied in his accented tone. The ‘us’ Cassian was referring to was himself and his partner in crime, a reprogrammed Imperial Droid named K2SO.

Ahsoka liked K2. He had a wicked sense of humour, adding dry wit to situations where it was needed, but being serious when necessary. 

“Well I’m sure this meeting will reveal all. Am I the last one to arrive?” Ahsoka enquired, moving with Cassian to take her place at the holographic table in the centre of the control room. 

“Third to last actually, we are waiting on two more people.” Mon Mothma spoke this time, moving to take her position at the head of the table, nodding at Ahsoka.

For some reason, Mothma had always been reserved around her. Ahsoka wasn’t sure why, and after recent revelations regarding Bail and Leia, Ahsoka wasn’t sure she wanted to know why. 

“Who else is coming?” Ahsoka asked, just as she felt two more people enter the room via the force. 

A young cheerful voice sounded over the control room. 

“Auntie Soka!” 

Ahsoka froze as she recognized the two people who had arrived, promptly making their way to the table. She hadn’t spoken to Bail since her last report, and she had been avoiding Leia. 

Leia… the daughter of her master. One of two remaining remnants of Senator Amidala. 

And it had all been kept from her for sixteen years. 

Because Bail had not trusted her. 

“Sorry we’re late. It’s getting harder and harder to leave Alderaan these days.” Bail Organa stated as he moved to stand beside Mon Mothma. Leia on the other hand chose to stand beside her favourite ‘Aunt’. 

“Hey Princess. You ok?” Ahsoka whispered to her. Leia merely smiled and nodded back. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel Leia’s dormant sensitivity. 

Ahsoka moved her attention away from Leia, just in time to see a hologram spring up representing the one person who couldn’t be with them tonight. Admiral Raddus was a Mon Calamari, and one who had willingly served the rebellion since his people’s mass exodus during the rise of the empire. He was loyal, and a brilliant tactician. 

“Excellent, we are all here. Now Captain Andor, what have you uncovered?” Mothma offered Cassian centre stage at the table. The human male flashed a quick smirk at Ahsoka, before moving to take command. 

Entering a small disc into a receiver on the table, Cassian begun. 

“About two months ago I receive a gift from an anonymous individual. It was a data drive containing various encrypted files from a secret imperial installation. K2SO and I have been decrypting the data ever since, and in doing so have stumbled across something that poses a dire threat to our survival.”

That got Ahsoka’s attention. If the empire was up to something it was never good. But something that threatened their survival?

Cassian’s hand inputted a series of codes into a console, and a hologram of a spherical object appeared in the centre of the table.

“What are we looking at here?” Dodonna spoke, curiosity in his voice.

“At first glance it appears to be nothing more than an imperial battle station, not unlike those used by the Confederacy during the Clone War. However, this station has had trillions of credits, as well as the best minds the empire can throw at it working on it.” Cassian continued, pulling up the schematics for the rebel leaders to look at. 

Cassian was right. At first glance it did seem harmless. So there must have been more to this story. 

Cassian then continued. “Furthermore, I recently received another encrypted file of data, this time from an individual calling himself Galen Erso. He is apparently the head scientist for this project, developing some kind of superweapon.”

“What kind of weapon?” Bail asked.

Cassian looked up at the assembled rebels, a look of severity on his face, something Ahsoka rarely saw in him. 

“One capable of destroying planets.”

The gasps that went around the room were evident. Beside Ahsoka, Leia gulped in fear. Sato’s face had become one of shock. And Raddus was spluttering to himself.

“How the Kriff have the empire been able to develop a weapon capable of doing that? It would take an abnormal power supply!” Raddus spoke after calming himself. 

Cassian nodded, pulling up another hologram of a long object that looked suspiciously familiar to Ahsoka, just much larger in size than she was used to. 

“A kyber crystal?” Ahsoka spoke with shock, seeing the image of the large green crystal. 

“A what?” Mothma interrupted, intrigue and concern on her face. 

“Jedi and Sith use them in their lightsabers, only much smaller in size, no bigger than a fingertip. One of that size and magnitude…” Ahsoka detailed, horrified at the concept. Kyber crystals were volatile at the best of times. One of that size could so far more than just destroy a planet. 

With a weapon such as that, The Emperor would easily be able to rule with nothing but fear of it being used. 

“This is preposterous! Even if the empire could get that thing working, they wouldn’t dare use it on any planet.” Leia voiced her opinion on the matter. How Ahsoka wished she was still that naïve and innocent. But sadly she was not, and she knew better. 

If the empire had such a weapon, they would use it, consequences be damned. 

“Please tell me there is some good news to come from all of this.” Sato spoke, worry in his voice. He had already lost most of his rebel cell. He didn’t want to run the risk of losing everything they had worked so hard to achieve. 

Cassian nodded in response, before pulling the previous image of the battle station back up. 

“Indeed Commander. Our saving grace is that the battle station is not yet complete. The kyber crystal is installed, and the majority of the systems are functionally, however, according to Erso, some structural work still needs finishing, and the weapon needs testing. From Erso’s estimations, it will be complete in roughly one month.”

Silence filled the control room. That didn’t give them much time to deal with the weapon. They had to move fast. 

“There’s more as well.” Cassian continued. “According to Erso, the station and its Director are due to host the annual ‘Meeting of the Moffs’ as they call it. The entirety of the imperial leadership will be present on the station in a fortnight’s time, including the Emperor himself.”

Another silence fell over the assembled group. 

Internally, Ahsoka was full of strife, but she also had a plan. A risky plan, but one nonetheless. 

“We let them keep building it for now, and attack when the leadership is assembled. We can cut of the head of the snake in one fell swoop.” 

All heads turned to Ahsoka, some nodding in agreement, others not. 

“Commander Tano, the empire will have an insane amount of security on the station during the meeting, and we possess no weapons capable of scratching the paint on that thing!” Dodonna replied first, shocked at Ahsoka’s proposal.

“Then we infiltrate the station with a small team, and destabilize the kyber crystal. The resulting explosion from a crystal that size should obliterate the station.” 

Cassian pulled the image of the crystal back up, allowing the rebel leadership to analyse it again. 

“It would be a suicide mission for anyone going. And we risk provoking the wrath of the Emperor if we fail.” Mon Mothma spoke with caution. 

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes. They had already provoked Palpatine’s wrath by staging this rebellion. 

“If the Emperor gets the chance to use that weapon, we are all screwed. I agree with Ahsoka. We have to take the risk.” Cassian spoke up in defence of Ahsoka. 

“We do not possess the resources to enact such a dangerous plan.” Mothma spoke up again, clearly against the plan. 

“Agreed. We need to wait and find another weakness, one that is easier to exploit.” Dodonna sided with Mothma in his speech, preferring a more patient approach. 

Inside herself, Ahsoka felt a rise of anger. Why was this even an argument?

“I support Commander Tano’s plan. We must attack now!” Commander Sato intervened, siding with Ahsoka, throwing a gracious nod in her direction, one that Ahsoka returned with a somewhat smug look on her face. 

A look that Bail noticed. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel his displeasure of her mood. Ahsoka found she didn’t care.

“A vote then. Those in favour of following through with Commander Tano’s plan?” Mothma spoke, gesturing to the rebels assembled. 

“Aye.” Ahsoka spoke, voting for herself. In any other instance, Ahsoka would have considered that a selfish action, but right now they needed action, not hesitance.  
“Aye.” Cassian spoke, siding with his fellow Fulcrum agent. 

“Nay.” Dodonna voiced the first negative. 

“Nay.” Raddus followed shortly afterwards, surprising Ahsoka. He was usually up for this sort of thing. 

“Aye.” Sato chose his side, nodding again at the Togruta woman. 

“Nay.” Mon Mothma placed her vote, bringing it to a tie. Now it was all down to Bail Organa. 

Ahsoka turned to look at the Senator from Alderaan. Their eyes locked over the table. Guilt was still present in Bail’s eyes, the lies he had told to Ahsoka at the forefront of his mind. 

Surely he would side with her… he had to. 

“Nay.”

Ahsoka’s mouth dropped open. Bail had voted against her?!

“Four to Three Commander Tano. I’m afraid we shall not be going through with your plan this time.” Mon Mothma spoke, moving to take her place at the head of the table, shutting off the hologram of the battle station and handing the data drive back to Cassian. 

“Hey, don’t I get a vote!” Leia interrupted from Ahsoka’s side. “I agree with Auntie Soka, we should take the risk and attack the station.”

“Princess you are not even supposed to be here, and you are not a member of this council.” Dodonna spoke, referring to the other members present. Leia grumbled lightly under her breath. 

Nevertheless, Ahsoka appreciated the gesture. 

“Well tough, I’m still going through with the plan regardless. If you want to sit back and do nothing, fine by me!” Ahsoka couldn’t resist the snippiness that came in her tone.   
Mon Mothma however clearly didn’t appreciate her attitude. 

“We have taken a vote Commander, and the answer is no. You are not permitted, or given leave to conduct such a mission.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, anger swelling up in her again. “I practically made this rebellion Senator, I think I’m entitled to do as I wish if it means saving the rebellion. While you and Organa had been sitting in the Senate chambers, my friends have been dying to build this rebellion, just so you can take over!”

Mon Mothma was growing equally angry it seemed, as her face contorted. Around the table, the other members of the rebellion leadership seemed to back away in fear. 

“And I respect that, but it is not the time to openly attack the empire in any way yet. We are not prepared for such an assault.”

“You stupid fool! Do you think the Siege of Atollon was anything but an all-out battle! Or that the disappearance of the Geonosian people is anything but a war crime. We’ve actively been at war with the empire for years now. You’re just too blind to see it!” Ahsoka rarely shouted at anyone, even when they were in the wrong. But Mothma was trying her patience, and coupled with recent events and revelations…

Silence flooded the control room once again. Across the table, the two woman stared daggers at each other, waiting for the other to strike. 

Then Mon Mothma spoke. 

“Since you will not relent, you leave me no choice. As the official leader of the rebellion, as well as commander in chief of all assets and peoples, I hereby place you on temporary leave of absence till I say otherwise. You are stripped of all rank and privileges, as well as any authority or command over any rebellion asset. Captain Andor will be in charge of the Fulcrum network until further notice.”

Memories flashed in Ahsoka’s head. She had experience a similar dismissal before, long ago.

And now it seemed history was repeating itself. 

She wanted to attack, wanted to provoke Mothma. 

But that was what Mothma wanted, Ahsoka could tell.

So she relented, and turned to leave the room. 

As she headed for the door, she heard Leia call out to her, but chose to ignore it. Ahsoka was angry, and the last thing she wanted to do was take it out on Leia. 

Before she crossed the threshold of the doorway however, her montrals picked up Mothma’s voice, speaking to Bail. 

“I told you she couldn’t be trusted. She’s too volatile, much like her master was. Even the Jedi recognized it.”

If anyone in the room was strong enough with the force to be able to reach into it and sense it, they would have felt the blast of rage and anger, as well as the cold flood the room.

Ahsoka halted in her step, pivoting on her feet and bearing her fangs at the assembled rebel leadership. 

Staring both Mon Mothma and Bail Organa squarely in the eyes, Ahsoka spat with venom. 

“Go Kriff Yourselves!”

And then she turned and marched out of the control room, anger following in her wake.


	2. Visions and Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which someone tries to egg Ahsoka on.  
> And another tries to calm her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time.  
> Hope you all enjoy it nonetheless.

Entering her private quarters, Ahsoka felt the urge to smash something. 

How dare Mothma question her loyalty, her commitment! Sure, she was angry, but that didn’t mean that she would betray the rebellion. 

And Bail… once again not supporting her. Lying to her. 

Internally, Ahsoka began to wonder if this was what had happened to the Jedi, to Anakin. Infighting turned into outright betrayal. 

It wouldn’t surprise her. Anakin had never got along with the Jedi council. Perhaps that was the catalyst for it all. 

Still frustrated, Ahsoka sat in the centre of the room, crossing her legs and reaching into the force. Perhaps some meditation would help calm her down and clear her head. 

*******************************************************************************************************

Delving into the force, Ahsoka felt a pull. Something, or someone was trying to show her something. 

Opening her eyes, she found herself in a vision of some kind. She stood on a clifftop, overlooking a valley below her. The planet she was on had a strange atmosphere, and reeked of the darkside of the force.

Below, in the valley, Ahsoka could see stone statues representing various individuals. At her current distance, Ahsoka couldn’t work out who or what they were of, only that they clearly had some sort of connection to the force. 

Further along in the valley, a larger stone structure, one that looked like a temple, could be seen. It was old and run down, but still emanated power.

Ahsoka was reminded of the Sith Temple on Malachor. Old and damaged, yet fully functional at a moment’s notice. 

Turning, Ahsoka observed the rest of the landscape around her. The terrain was mountainous, with sharp rocks and cliffs that looked like they were trying to impale you. Clearly, nobody was ever meant to come here. The atmosphere was one of death. 

Still, it held a strange sense of beauty to it. 

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” A voice croaked from behind Ahsoka, one that sent chills down her spine. Her natural instinct was to go for her lightsabers, to defend herself. 

But she remembered that this was only a vision. He couldn’t hurt her here. 

“In a twisted kriffed up way yes.” Ahsoka replied with a snarl, turning to face the person who had spoken.

Even in a vision such as this, Darth Sidious was an imposing sight. His presence in the force could be likened to a black hole, sucking everything close in and destroying it in the process. 

And now he stood with her, sharing the same vision. 

Sidious smirked at her response, turning away from the Togruta to stare at the landscape. 

“When I was first training, my master, Darth Plagueis, brought me to this place in order to study the ancient knowledge of the Sith.”

So wherever this was clearly did have some connection to the Sith. That explained the darkside energy Ahsoka could feel emanating from the ground. 

“And here would be…?” Ahsoka enquired. She wasn’t making polite conversation, she would never, not with him. 

But for some reason she couldn’t pull out of her vision. Something was keeping her there.

“Moraband my dear. Or Korriban to some. The ancient homeworld of the Sith, and final resting place for many Sith of old.” Sidious croaked, a strange tone in his voice. Ahsoka would have called it awe, but surely someone of Sidious’ power would not be awed by anything other than his own power. 

“How are we speaking currently?” Ahsoka enquired. She had to know, so she could avoid it in the future.

“We are both mediating, and thus our consciousness have joined.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, anger building in her. 

Behind his hooded, Sidious smirked at the anger he felt from Ahsoka. Yes, soon she would be his.

“Two force sensitives mediating at the same time lightyears away does not explain how we have connected minds as you say. And I would certainly never willingly join my mind with yours!” Ahsoka spat, turning to face the Sith Lord. 

Sidious cackled. “Indeed. However, I have recently acquired an artefact you once had in your possession. One that you connected with on an intrinsic level. Through that, I am able to contact you.”

Ahsoka tried to refrain from the look of surprise that had covered her face, but he failed. Sidious was clearly speaking about the Sith holocron. But the last she had seen it, the Eighth Brother had stolen it from her on Tatooine. That meant…

“The Inquisitor returned the holocron to me, only asking for a place by my side once more. He practically begged. I had not seen anything so pathetic since the time Skywalker begged me to save Senator Amidala’s life. Sentimental fool.” 

Ahsoka felt the rage inside her boil up. She had since stopped caring about Anakin Skywalker. He had proven to be a traitor of the highest calibre, one not worthy of any care or respect.

But Padme? Sweet innocent Padme. She was worth fighting for, even if she was long passed. 

“Yes, I can feel your anger. You will make a fine apprentice Ahsoka Tano. You will be my greatest success, and my greatest legacy.” Sidious cackled again.

“I’m going to kill you!” Ahsoka snarled back at him, fangs bared. 

Sidious merely smiled back in a sickening way. “Oh I have no doubt Ahsoka Tano. The question is, how many of you friends will die to give you that opportunity?”

Ahsoka had no response. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to die for her. 

“I will allow you to leave now, as it seems another desires your company. Until we meet Ahsoka Tano.”

***************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka snapped out of her vision, finding herself back in her quarters. 

A light series of knocks sounded at the door. Someone was clearly desiring her company. 

Ahsoka very nearly told them to leave. She had had enough of rebels for today. And her recent vision hadn’t helped her mood. 

Still, through the force, she could not feel any threat on the other side of the door, only compassion and worry. 

Ahsoka stood from her place on the floor, moving to open to door and greet the person. 

The door slid open swiftly, revealing the dark-skinned face of Ahsoka’s close friend.

“Hey.” Kaeden Larte’s greeting was simple, one that demonstrated informality between the two. 

“Hey yourself.” Ahsoka replied, a smirk on her face. 

“Can I come in? I need to talk to you.” Kaeden spoke, her hands wringing together awkwardly. Ahsoka had a feeling what this was about. But it was Kaeden, and she trusted the woman. 

“Of course.” Ahsoka replied, stepping to the side to allow Kaeden entry.

The dark-skinned human moved past Ahsoka, perching herself on the end of Ahsoka’s bed. 

Ahsoka experienced a case of deja-vu. This was strikingly familiar to their talks on Raada, when they had first met. 

Kaeden clearly felt the same, as she laughed lightly, tapping next to her on the bed. 

Allowing her previous anger to cool off, Ahsoka closed the door and moved to sit next to Kaeden. 

The two sat in silence for a few seconds, merely enjoying each other’s company. Kaeden had always been a stabilising element for Ahsoka, one she could turn to when the going was rough. 

She felt she could tell things to Kaeden that she couldn’t to anyone else, even Rex. 

After the few more seconds of silence, Kaeden spoke. 

“I heard about what happened at the meeting. Are you ok Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka sighed audibly, shrinking down into herself. She had actively had a go at the entire rebellion leadership, just because they hadn’t agreed with her plan. 

But it was a necessary plan, which was how Ahsoka justified it. They had to destroy the station before it could be used. And with the imperial leadership all meeting at the same time on the station…

What had gripped her worst of all was that once again he had been likened to her former master, and to the man he had become. 

As Ahsoka boiled in her anger, Kaeden began to get increasingly worried. She had never seen Ahsoka like this before. Reaching out with her arm, she wrapped it around Ahsoka’s waist, pulling her close. 

That snapped Ahsoka out of whatever it was she was thinking about. “I’m frustrated Kaeden. We have the opportunity to eliminate the imperial leadership in one move, and the Senators don’t wish to go through with it. They even put me on forced leave.”

“From what I heard you gave them a good shouting down. Sato seemed quite impressed when he spoke to me.” Kaeden replied, squeezing Ahsoka gently. 

“Yeah I lost my patience, but I’m tired of dealing with the same old rubbish every day with them.” Ahsoka replied, leaning into Kaeden slightly. 

Silence fell over the two again, both lost in their own thoughts. Kaeden wanted to help Ahsoka, she really did. But Ahsoka often kept to herself, something that Kaeden both envied and despised. 

“Tell me what to do Ahsoka. I’m here for you, anytime. But I don’t know how to help you if you don’t tell me.” Kaeden spoke softly, turning her head to look at the Togruta woman.

Kaeden didn’t expect much of a response from Ahsoka. So she was surprised when the Togruta wrapped her arm around Kaeden’s back, much like Kaeden had done to Ahsoka.   
“Just being here for me is enough Kaeden. Knowing someone cares is enough.”

Kaeden nearly sighed at Ahsoka’s words. After all these years, it seemed like the Togruta was finally beginning to open up to her. 

So Kaeden sat with Ahsoka, offering as much support as she could through a simple embrace. 

Kaeden didn’t know how long they sat there together, perched on the end of Ahsoka’s bed. Truthfully, she didn’t care. 

After an unspecified amount of time, Kaeden began to speak. 

“Ahsoka I…”

Kaeden didn’t get the chance to finish, as the doors to Ahsoka’s room opened suddenly, revealing a tall figure on the other side. 

“Oh, hey K2.” Ahsoka spoke, a smile coming to her face to the sight of Cassian’s partner in crime. 

He may have been a droid, but Kaeden could almost see emotion in the droids emotionless face, as his head moved rapidly back and forth between Ahsoka and Kaeden, as if he had stumbled across some great secret. 

Moments later, K2SO’s head focused solely on Ahsoka. If Kaeden didn’t know any better, she could have sworn the droid was smirking, even without an actual mouth to simulate such a thing. 

“When the two of you are done snuggling and canoodling, Cassian would like to speak with you in the hanger bay.”

Kaeden blushed at the droids comments, opening her mouth to refute K2’s accusations. 

Ahsoka however spoke first. “Thanks K2, tell him I’m on my way.”

The droid nodded his head, turning to leave before halting in the doorway.

“Feel free to finish your important business here first Commander.”

And with that, K2 left the room, stomping down the hallway, no doubt on the way to inform Cassian of what he had seen. 

That left Kaeden alone with Ahsoka again. Neither had moved from their embrace, still holding tight to each other despite K2’s interruption. 

“Nosey droid.” Ahsoka muttered under her breath lightly. Kaeden had to agree. 

Ahsoka then made the move to stand, removing her arm from around Kaeden’s back and breaking the embrace. Kaeden lamented to loss briefly, before shaking off the train of thought. Clearly duty called. 

It was then that Ahsoka offered her hand to Kaeden, helping her stand from her position on the bed. Kaeden didn’t need the help, but she took the offered hand regardless. 

“Thanks.” Kaeden spoke, looking down briefly with embarrassment. 

Ahsoka smiled brightly, feeling happy for the first time today. 

“No problem. Come on, let’s go see what Cassian had got himself into now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, less action and plot this time around, and more personal moments for the characters.   
> I hope you liked this chapter.   
> Comment and speculate at will.   
> Till next time.


	3. To Disobey Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cassian reveals himself to be the ultimate bro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short exposition heavy chapter. Sorry.   
> Check the notes at the end for a detailed description of something.   
> :)

Entering the hanger bay of the Massassi temple on Yavin 4, Ahsoka and Kaeden immediately spotted Cassian, who upon seeing them enthusiastically waved them over, a cheeky smile on his face. 

Once again, he was clearly up to something, and Ahsoka had no doubt that she would be left to clean up the mess, not that she minded to be honest. 

Except that she wouldn’t have to clean up his mess, as she had been dismissed from service. That meant that for once Cassian Andor would have to clean up his own mess. Ahsoka almost felt like rubbing it in his face. 

As the two women approached earshot of Cassian, Ahsoka spoke. 

“K2 said you wanted to see me Cassian. Everything ok?”

Cassian nodded, taking a quick glance behind Ahsoka, as if checking for something, before heading off towards a small room in the back of the temple, gesturing for Ahsoka and Kaeden to follow. 

Their destination was a small meeting room, often used for classified meetings among fellow Fulcrum agents. 

But today, it seemed Cassian had ulterior motives. 

“I’ve spoken with Commander Sato and we both agree that going through with your plan is our best course of action, Senator’s opinions be damned.” Cassian whispered to Ahsoka as they approached the door to the meeting room, stopping outside of it. 

“I’m glad someone agrees Cassian, but I don’t think the three of us alone will be able to take down the Emperor.” Ahsoka replied, a slight edge in her tone. Memories of her recent vision flashed before her. Sidious was far too powerful for any one individual to handle. 

“Agreed, and whilst neither Sato nor myself can actively be involved, we found some people who are willing to help you.” Cassian replied, turning to open the doors to the meeting room, before heading inside. 

For a brief second, Ahsoka was perplexed. What had Cassian done this time?

Shaking out of her inner monologue, Ahsoka moved to follow Cassian, entering the room.

Upon entry, she realized what Cassian had meant.

“Lady Tano, I am offended you didn’t ask for our help sooner.”

Packed into the small room was the crew of the Ghost, minus Sabine who was still with her family, as well as Rex, Maul, Kallus and Kaeden’s younger sister Miara. 

“What are you all doing here?” Ahsoka enquired, fear evident inside of her. She didn’t want her friends to get hurt because of her suicidal plan. She’d rather undertake the mission alone. 

“You didn’t think we would let you do this alone now did you Commander?” Rex spoke up, moving up next to Ahsoka, a smile on his face. 

“Yeah, a chance to destroy the emperor, how could we resist?” Zeb spoke next, bumping shoulders with Kallus, who looked stumbled slightly, yet smiled also. 

Ahsoka couldn’t say she was surprised, her friends did seem willing to help her in her missions. And if past experience was anything to go by, there would be no convincing them otherwise. 

Looking around the room, Ahsoka analysed each individual present. 

Kanan and Ezra stood silent in the corner, no doubt reading Ahsoka’s emotions through the force. 

Maul would most likely be doing the same, just with significantly less discretion. Ahsoka could feel his presence trying to get into her mind, to understand what she was thinking.

Instinctively, she put her mental shields up. She may trust Maul, and he may have proven to be a stable ally in the past two months, but he was still a former Sith. 

Clearly Maul understood, as his presence retracted from her mind. 

Zeb and Kallus had become good friends despite their past, often going on missions together, and they both had a joint grievance against the empire as a whole. 

Miara and Kaeden had lost their planet and their home because of the empires intervention, and because of Ahsoka’s own attempt to hide out on Raada after Order 66. 

Ahsoka knew that Hera would insist on using the Ghost for the mission, as it was one of the most powerful and reliable ships the rebellion possessed. 

Chopper and AP5 were a surprise. Both would usually cower in the face of a mission as dangerous as this. But clearly they understood how serious the situation was, and Ahsoka would welcome their technical expertise. 

And Rex? Rex would follow her to hell and back it seemed. There would be no convincing him otherwise. And other wouldn’t have it any other way.

They were a strong team, one who had gone up against impossible odds time and time again and survived. 

But this was different. Ahsoka knew all too well that this would most likely be a suicide mission. Not everyone would return.

“I’m honoured, truly. And I won’t stop you if you wish to come along, but there is a strong chance that none of us will return.” Ahsoka spoke clearly, approaching the table in the centre. The various other members present took their positions by the table despite Ahsoka’s statement, refusing to back out. 

“Every mission we undertake is dangerous Ahsoka. Why should that stop us now?” Kanan spoke this time, a small smile evident on his face. His mask blocked out his eyes, but Ahsoka could tell he was looking right at her. 

Ahsoka resisted the urge to sigh audibly. There really was no convincing them all otherwise!

“Fine, you can help me. Has Cassian told you what I have planned?” Ahsoka relented, before casting a glance over at Cassian. 

Cassian smirked before opening his mouth. Ahsoka knew some sort of sarcastic answer was coming. 

“Infiltrate Imperial Superweapon during important meeting, destabilize massive kyber crystal, run the hell away!” 

Ahsoka did sigh this time. Cassian certainly had a way with words. 

“Yeah that’s about the gist of it.” Ahsoka replied, turning to gauge the reactions of the other individuals present. 

No one seemed to question Cassian’s description, suggesting that he had already most given a more accurate rundown of the situation, as well as Ahsoka’s proposed plan. 

Then, Hera spoke up, voicing a concern that Ahsoka herself had not considered. 

“I’m all for taking it to the emperor, but this mission is a bit much for the thirteen of us to handle. We are going to need some more volunteers.”

“Ten actually.” Cassian spoke, significantly reducing the numbers. “The Larte sisters and I will stay behind to work with Sato, ensuring that rebel command doesn’t get wind of what you are up to.”

Ahsoka nodded understanding. In reality, what they needed was an army. Or a really good team.

“Anyone have any ideas?” Ahsoka asked of those assembled. 

Kanan spoke first. “Since we will need explosives to destabilize the kyber crystal, I’ll go speak to Sabine and see what she can do.”

Bringing in Sabine would be vital to their success, Ahsoka knew that. The girl may have been young, but she was a savant when it came to all things explosive. If anyone could find a way of destroying a crystal that size, it was a Mandalorian. 

“Ok, so Sabine is one option. Anyone else we know of?”

Ezra took that opportunity to speak up. “Ryder will probably help us. I’ll go speak to him.”

Ryder Azadi was the former governor of Lothal, and had proven to be a valuable asset on Lothal in the past. Ahsoka had never met him in person, but from what Ezra had told her, he was reliable. 

Rex then took an opportunity to suggest someone.

“What about Saw Gerrera?”

Silence fell over the assembled rebels. Saw was an extremist, one who had recently broken off from rebel command, following his own path. He had a strong loyal cell by his side, one who agreed with his methods. 

It would be difficult to recruit him, especially if he saw them as lackeys of Mon Mothma. 

“I’ll go speak to Saw myself. Hopefully he will listen to me.” Ahsoka spoke. She had trained him during the Clone War, and had also been responsible for the death of his sister Steela. 

Ahsoka only hoped that he hated the Emperor more than he hated her. 

“Sounds good. I also know some people who would be willing to help, I’ll talk to them.” Rex spoke, agreeing with Ahsoka’s assessment over Saw. 

“I know someone as well, I’ll speak to him.” Hera noted, nodding at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka didn’t enquire as to who they were talking about. She would no doubt find out in time, and she trusted her friends. 

There was also no guarantee that everyone they asked would join in. It was a matter of chance really. 

“Well I suppose I should ask someone too.” Maul spoke up for the first time since greeting Ahsoka. That surprised her. Who could Maul possibly recruit for a suicide mission? Did he even have friends? Associates?

Still, she didn’t complain. The more people they could recruit, the better chances they had. 

Cassian then revealed a piece of information that Ahsoka had been working on for the past few months. One she had worked hard to keep a secret, as to not rise any false hope up.

“What about that Jedi you have been tracking? The one you think is hiding on Kashyyyk.”

Every pair of eyes at the table lit up in surprise, including Maul’s, which almost made Ahsoka laugh. 

Since encountering Obi-Wan, Ahsoka had dedicated more resources into a hunt for surviving Jedi. If Kenobi was alive, surely others were. 

And through some kind of divine intervention, she had found a lead to one hiding on Kashyyyk. She had no idea who it was, whether they were a master or a padawan. The only scrap of information she had been able to use to possibly identify the Jedi was that they possessed a green lightsaber blade. But that hardly narrowed it down. 

“There’s another Jedi out there?” Ezra asked excitedly, always eager to meet more Jedi. 

“Possibly, I can’t be sure. But if there is, they could be a valuable asset.” Ahsoka spoke calmly. 

“Assuming they will help us that is. They may have settled into the domestic life, not wishing to fight anymore.” Kanan spoke wisely. Ahsoka agreed. If the individual didn’t want to fight, she wouldn’t force them. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask. Assuming she could find the Jedi in the first place. Kashyyyk was full of jungles and forests. Finding anyone in there would be nearly impossible. 

“I’ll go there first, see if I can find them. Then I’ll go to Saw.” Ahsoka concluded, stepping back from the table. 

The group acknowledged the plan, each preparing themselves for what lie ahead. 

“Ok, we need a secret rendezvous point where the rebellion won’t follow us. We are going against orders here after all.” Hera spoke up, surprising Kanan by showing her rebellious side. 

The team made a few suggestions briefly. Kanan suggested Lothal, as it was out of the way. However, the heavy imperial presence could lead to them being revealed.

Ezra suggested Atollon, arguing that the empire would have left the system by now. Ahsoka refuted, suggesting that the empire would most likely be monitoring the planet for any stragglers. 

After a few more unsuccessful suggestions, including one by Maul to meet on Dathomir, which had been instantly denied by Kanan, Kaeden entered a suggestion. 

“What about Raada? It’s out of the way. We could meet in the caves that we hid in in the past.” Kaeden’s gaze shifted towards Ahsoka. Memories of that place came to the Togruta.

They were well hidden, and large enough to accommodate the team, as well as plan for the mission. 

And it was unlikely that anyone would find them there. 

“Agreed, sounds like a good meeting space. How long do we have before we need to be there?” Hera replied, the rest of the team agreeing with Kaeden’s suggestion, surprising the Human woman. 

Beside her, Ahsoka smiled lightly in pride. Kaeden had come far. 

“The ‘Meeting of the Moffs’ is scheduled for a fortnight’s time. We meet just before then.” Ahsoka replied to Hera’s inquiry. 

“And from there, we take the fight to the Emperor!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, it is time to do some explaining. As you have just read, Ahsoka and the others are going to be forming a team to attack the Death Star with. Once the mission to the Death Star had begun, any member of this team can die at any point, so be warned.
> 
> So basically, this story is seperated into two large acts. Act One consists of everyone going to recruit possible team members. It will essentially be a series of mini stories to give everyone screen time before the end.
> 
> Once the mission to the Death Star begins, (This is Act Two), that is when people will start dying.
> 
> So... a present to you my readers... a challenge. Who do you think will be on Ahsoka's team by the end... and who do you think will die!
> 
> There are 22 places on the team that will be filled.
> 
> The first ten are already present, consisting of: Ahsoka, Rex, Kanan, Ezra, Maul, Hera, Chopper, AP5, Kallus and Zeb.
> 
> The rest are left as question marks. I wonder who they could be?
> 
> Now before you begin guessing, Cassian and the Larte sisters are exempt, as stated in this chapter, so they will not be part of the team that goes to the Death Star, and are thus safe from death.
> 
> So place your bets... who will fill the remaining 12 spots on the team. I've given a few potential candidates in this chapter as well, but that doesn't mean they will join.
> 
> Also... who's death would upset you all the most... just out of interest. ;)


	4. An Imperial Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn begins investigating the purpose behind Krennic's battlestation with some unexpected help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to see what the empire is up to.  
> :)

Grand Admiral Thrawn sat at his desk in the small quarters he had been given by Director Krennic, agonizing over various reports he had been given. 

In the time it had taken him to travel to his destination, several rebels’ cells had successfully enacted attacks against imperial positions. While the attacks did little to weaken the position of the empire, they were evidence that the empire could be thought. 

‘The rebellion is getting more and more militarized by the day.’ Thrawn thought, reading through a report on a scouting mission gone wrong. Apparently they had been ambushed by rebel forces loyal to Saw Gerrerra, an extremist if Thrawn ever saw one. 

To be truthful, Thrawn’s mind was not really on the work he had before him. Since arriving on board Krennic’s secret battle station, Thrawn had found himself restricted on where he could go. According to Tarkin, Thrawn did not have the necessary security clearance for certain areas of the station. 

That obviously meant that the station was hiding something, and something big if a Grand Admiral was not allowed to know what it was.

‘But why does Tarkin know?’

Thrawn shook the thoughts off. He had prior knowledge that Krennic was building some sort of battle station, and the Emperor had seemed quite insistent on diverting as many resources to it as possible. Thrawn had argued against it, not willing to put all his faith in on battle station that he didn’t know anything about. He would rather spend the resources on something more useful. 

Sighing lightly to himself, Thrawn moved aside the datapad he had been working on, reaching over to grab another. This was a report from his Star Destroyer, the Chimaera, which was currently on route to Coruscant to pick up the Emperor. Why he had wanted Thrawn’s vessel was unknown, but Thrawn did not question it. 

At least not aloud. 

According to the report, the Chimaera was undergoing refuelling and rearming before departing, meaning that it would be a few days for it left Coruscant.

That gave Thrawn a few days to learn as much as he could about the battle station, as discreetly as possible.

However, Thrawn realized he could not do it alone. If he started asking questions, people would grow suspicious of him. 

He needed allies. 

Standing from his desk, Thrawn left his room, looking for one person in particular. 

**********************************************************************************************

Thrawn found him in the mess hall of all places, quietly eating what looked to be a plate of mixed vegetables. 

As the Chiss approached his target, it occurred to him that this was the first time he had seen his true face. Normally, the Eighth Brother hid it behind his peculiar helmet. But not now it seemed. 

The Terrelian Jango Jumper looked up from his meal, a strange look in his eyes. Thrawn very quickly analysed the Inquisitor. He was young, Thrawn could tell, yet skilled, and had clearly seen much. 

If Thrawn didn’t know any better, he’d say something haunted the Eighth Brother. 

“Oh, hey Mitth'raw'nuruodo.”

Thrawn did a double take. Never did anyone ever try to pronounce his full name. He wasn’t even sure if anyone knew it!

And yet, this Inquisitor had at the very least tried. He had horribly butchered the pronunciation, but he had tried. That, Thrawn could respect. 

Perhaps he had been wrong about the Terrelian.

“Greetings Inquisitor, may I sit with you?”

The Eighth Brother nodded, returning to his meal, scooping another utensil full of vegetables into his mouth. 

Thrawn took the seat opposite of the Inquisitor, settling in comfortably before him.

Seconds past before either one spoke. 

“Something tells me you’re not here for the food.” The Eighth Brother spoke, mouth full of food as he did. Thrawn grimaced slightly, careful not to show his discomfort on his face.

“I wanted to ask you a question.” Thrawn spoke in a whisper, ensuring that no one could overhear them. It was the night-time cycle on the station, and most high level officers were asleep. But that didn’t stop the odd Stormtrooper from meandering around the station. All it would take was one trooper overhearing them…

“Go ahead.” The Inquisitor replied, taking another bite of his food. 

“What do you know about this battle station?”

The Eighth Brother stopped mid bite, removing the food he had intended to place in his mouth, before a curious look overtook his face. 

“I imagine you know more than I do Grand Admiral.”

“Only that it cost trillions of credits and is designed to ensure galactic peace. But I get the sense there is more to this station than what meets the eye.” Thrawn replied to the Inquisitor, who had now pushed aside his food.

Waiting for a reply, Thrawn watched the Eighth Brother’s reaction. His eyes darted left and right, as if watching for something, or feeling something. 

When the Eighth Brother was content that no one was listening, he leaned forward slightly.

“I agree. This station is giving of strong readings in the force. I can’t figure out why thought, but it must be connected to whatever it is they are hiding here.”

Thrawn didn’t even pretend to understand the force in its entirety. Nor did he wish to, he dealt with reality, not magic. 

But time and time again he had had to compensate for such things. That was why he had used Ysalamir on Ahsoka Tano on Lothal. He had been prepared that day, and he had still ended up with a broken nose. 

But just because he accepted the existence of the force, didn’t mean he understood it. However, the individual before him did.

“What sort of readings?” Thrawn inquired. 

The Eighth Brother shook his head. 

“We shouldn’t discuss it here. I will come find you later tonight, once I have had time to meditate about it. Now that I know I’m not imagining things, and that someone else is suspicious…”

Thrawn understood. The Eighth Brother had wanted to conduct his own covert investigation, off the records, as Thrawn had. 

And that played perfectly into Thrawn’s hands. 

Perhaps together, they could find out what the Emperor was really up to.

********************************************************************************************

It was a couple of hours later, as well as a couple of reports, when a knock sounded at Thrawn’s door. The Chiss stood from his desk, moving over to open it and greet the individual on the other side. 

As the door opened, the Eighth Brother allowed himself entry, pushing past Thrawn with some urgency. 

“I take it you discovered something Inquisitor?”

The Eighth Brother started pacing left and right, stopping occasionally as if listening to something. 

Aside from the usual sounds on an imperial station, the clunking of the air ducts, as well as far of sounds of troopers patrolling, Thrawn could hear nothing.

So clearly, whatever the Eighth Brother was listening to have some kind of connection to the force. 

“Inquisitor?” Thrawn questioned again.

The Eighth Brother stopped his pacing, turning to face the Chiss Admiral, a shocked and surprised look on his face. The Inquisitor still hadn’t placed his helmet back on, making it easier for Thrawn to read him. 

“There is a kyber crystal here… somewhere on the station!” The Terrelian spoke with alarm. 

Thrawn’s eyes widened. He was fully aware of what kyber crystals were. They most commonly powered lightsabers, and were sources of immense energy. 

But why was one brought here, and for what purpose? 

And what could one tiny crystal do that was so worth investing all of the resources the Emperor had?

Thrawn voiced this concern, as well as confusion to the Inquisitor, who was quick to shake his head in alarm, his hands going up to his forehead, rubbing it as if he had a headache. 

“Not just a normal crystal. A massive one. I can feel it in the force. So much power!” The Eighth Brother practically squeaked the last sentence. He was either in great pain through the force, or in great awe. 

“Where is it?” Thrawn asked, pushing for information.

The Eighth Brother was growing more and more erratic by the second, as if he was on the verge of going crazy. 

Thrawn reached forward, grabbing the Terrelian around the shoulders, holding him still.

The Eighth Brother locked eyes with Thrawn’s red ones. 

“Somewhere. On the station! Yes, somewhere here! The restricted zone? No. Weapon control maybe? I don’t know, please don’t make me look for it again!”

Pain, the Eighth Brother was clearly in pain trying to sense out the crystal. 

Thrawn may not have liked the Inquisitor much, but he didn’t want to see him in pain. 

Especially pain that he himself did not understand. 

“Ok. I have heard enough. Go and rest Inquisitor.” Thrawn spoke softly, guiding the Terrelian to the door. 

“Yes. Yes! Rest. I can rest! Yes.” 

Thrawn nodded, opening the door, gently pushing the Inquisitor out. The Eighth Brother seemed to be calming down now, yet his eyes were still erratic, checking every corner of the room and corridor twice over. 

“Go and rest my friend. We will talk later. And do not reach for the crystal any more. It brings only pain for you.” Thrawn spoke commandingly, yet calmly, in a somewhat friendly manner. 

The Eighth Brother nodded, turning to walk down the corridor, swaying slightly from left to right. 

Thrawn closed the door, entering back into his private room and sitting back down at his desk. 

What was this crystal? What was it for? 

And why had it sent the Eighth Brother into such a debilitating state. 

Thrawn sighed. Perhaps rest would do him good as well. He himself could feel a headache coming on. 

He would resume his research into this battle station in the morning, with or without the Inquisitor’s help. 

**********************************************************************************************************

As the Eighth Brother heard the door to Thrawn’s room close behind him, he instantly snapped out of his deception. It was true, he had sensed the crystal in the force, and it had pained him slightly.

But not enough to send him crazy, as he had faked towards Thrawn. The Chiss was good, but he wasn’t that good. 

Besides, he already knew about the crystal. In fact, he had been the one to assist in its discovery. And he had learned exactly what it was, and what it could do. It was a weapon, one of immense power, and one that he had seen before. In the hands of the Emperor, or any other imperial leader, it would ensure their supremacy in the galaxy. All would bow before them.

But if he could harness the weapon for himself, use it against all that had opposed him, those had wronged him?

For now, he had to work with Thrawn, which was the only way he would avoid rising suspicion of his true intentions. If he could frame the Grand Admiral…

Chuckling to himself, the Eighth Brother set off down the hallway. 

Soon he would have his revenge, and he would vanquish all that stood in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, be honest. How many of you were fooled the the Eighth Brother's charade?


	5. Tracking the Tracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Kaeden begin their search for a mysterious Jedi on Kashyyyk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a super long chapter... hope you enjoy.

The flight to Kashyyyk had be short with no interruptions, something for which Ahsoka was glad for. 

There would be enough fighting in the days ahead. For now, she wanted as much peace as possible. Something her co-pilot clearly agreed with.

“Nice to have things go right for a change. I was beginning to think we had a bad luck charm or something.” Kaeden spoke, looking out the window of the cargo freighter they were flying.

Technically, it was the Larte’s cargo freighter, from before they had meet up with Ahsoka again when dealing with the mysterious Fulcrum business several months ago. 

Apparently, both Kaeden and Miara went back to get it from the moon they had left it on. It wasn’t armed, but it made for another ship the rebellion could use. 

And with every other ship currently in use by Ahsoka’s allies as they scoured the galaxy for recruits, Ahsoka had been left with the freighter.

And Kaeden, who had insisted she come along of one of Ahsoka’s missions for once, wanting to see her at work. Not that Ahsoka minded, it would be nice to have some company in this search. 

For all she knew it could lead to a dead end.

Or she could end up finding another Jedi. 

Only time would tell. 

“We do have a bad luck charm… his name is Chopper. Luckily, he isn’t with us.” Ahsoka responded to Kaeden’s earlier quip, making the human woman laugh lightly. 

Ahsoka didn’t know why, but Kaeden’s laughter brought a warm feeling to her gut, one of happiness. Whether or not it was hers was debatable, but still, it was nice to see Kaeden happy. 

Turning her attention to the planet before her, Ahsoka keyed the coordinates she and Cassian had pulled from the data they had acquired. The lush green forests of Kashyyyk were an excellent place to hide, both from sight and in the force. 

But if Ahsoka could get close enough to detect even the slightest shift in the force, she would have results. 

Ahsoka was by no means an expert tracker, having never had the time or situation really present itself to her. Sure, she had helped find a Lurman village in the past, but back then she had Aayla Secura to help her. 

Ahsoka found she missed the blue Twi-lek Jedi. At times like this, she would have been exceptionally helpful, having learnt from the master of tracking himself, Quinlan Vos.

Ahsoka had never had the pleasure to meet Vos in her youth, something that upset her. From the stories that Obi-Wan use to tell of their adventures, he sounded like quite the character, one she would have got along with famously. 

Shaking out of any nostalgia, Ahsoka refocused on the situation at hand. The Larte’s freighter was now entering orbit, breaking through the atmosphere and descending towards an open area on Kashyyyk. 

Ahsoka hoped that the natives of the planet, the Wookies, did not view them as a threat, if any were left that was. She had heard the rumours of Wookies being taken as slave labour by the empire, not to dissimilar to what had befallen the Geonosian population. And Ahsoka had seen how that had turned out. A race, extinct. 

Ahsoka wouldn’t allow that to happen again. 

Landing the freighter in the open area, Ahsoka powered down the engines and other systems, before rising from her chair and heading towards the airlock. Kaeden followed behind her, equipping a blaster just in case. 

The airlock door opened, revealing the lush green of Kashyyyk before them. The area they had landed in was open enough to land, yet was still surrounded by trees and dense jungle. 

They could get seriously lost in there. 

“So… who exactly are we looking for again?” Kaeden asked, following Ahsoka outside, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. 

“A Jedi I think. Though I’m unsure which one. This could all be a wild bantha chase.” Ahsoka replied, analysing the foliage around her. The sounds of life were evident. Birds chirped, insects buzzed. 

But no Wookies emerged. That concerned Ahsoka.

“Well if you are going to hide from the empire, this is the place to do it.” Kaeden spoke, flashing a quick smile at Ahsoka. Ahsoka smiled back, thinking back to her own time on the run after Order 66, and how she had ended up on Raada, a farming moon. 

“Yeah I get it. Hiding on a moon and changing my name to ‘The Force’ was not my best moment.” Ahsoka joked, nudging the human woman slightly. 

“If you hadn’t, we would never have met.” Kaeden replied softly, a smile on her face. 

It was true. By pure circumstance, Ahsoka had stumbled across Raada, and had stumbled across Kaeden. 

She would call it fate, but Ahsoka was not a believer in prophecies and such. 

Not since Anakin had turned and betrayed them all anyway. 

The Togruta shook her head, ridding herself of any negative thoughts. She would not give in to her darker emotions, not around Kaeden at least. 

She deserved better. 

“So, how are we going to find this Jedi you think is here?” Kaeden asked, her eyes now watching the surroundings.

Ahsoka had thought long and hard on the trip to Kashyyyk about this. She could just wander off into the jungle in hopes of stumbling across some sort of clue. But then she would get lost. If she didn’t have Kaeden with her, she might have considered it.

But the last thing she wanted to do was get Kaeden lost, so she came up with a new plan. 

“Meditation.” Ahsoka answered simply, lowering herself to the floor and sitting with her legs crossed. She would reach into the force, to see if she could pick up any force sensitive presence. If she could, that would mean that they wanted her to find them, or at very least know they were around. If not…

That meant that she was not to disturb them. And she would respect that. 

Kaeden sat opposite her, mimicking her position. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Ahsoka was about to reply no, that she couldn’t. Kaeden wasn’t force sensitive, she couldn’t help hunt this Jedi the way Ahsoka was about to. 

But something stopped Ahsoka. Something within her told her to try something. Something she had only ever heard about.

Kaeden may not have been force sensitive, but Ahsoka could help her see things her way. It might not work, but it was worth a try.

“Actually, there is. Give me your hands.” 

Kaeden’s eyes widened in surprise at Ahsoka’s statement, but she relented nonetheless, reaching her arms out. 

Ahsoka copied the gesture, placing her hands palms up in front of her, gesturing for Kaeden to lace her hands on top. 

The dark-skinned woman stared apprehensively at Ahsoka’s outstretched hands, confused as to what was happening. 

“Trust me.” Ahsoka spoke barely with a whisper. 

Kaeden would always trust Ahsoka, so she placed her hands on Ahsoka’s.

“Now what?” Kaeden asked. 

Ahsoka smiled at the human, before closing her eyes and reaching into the force. 

“Ahsoka?” She heard Kaeden inquire, voice raising slightly in concern. 

“Just relax Kaeden.” Ahsoka replied, reaching for Kaeden’s presence in the force, grasping in lightly, and pulling it with her. 

While Kaeden could not access the force itself, every being could touch it, just not manipulate it. 

With Ahsoka’s help, Kaeden too could meditate. 

Delving into the force, Ahsoka pulled Kaeden through.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Kaeden Larte had experienced many things in her life that surprised her. 

Her parents dying when she was younger, leaving her to care for her sister. 

Being hunted by the empire, and captured and tortured by an Inquisitor. 

Joining the rebellion, seeking to do good. 

But never had she ever expected to feel the force. She was no Jedi, or whatever Ahsoka was these days.

But somehow, she could. Ahsoka had joined their minds, and Kaeden could feel everything that Ahsoka could. The subtle movements of life around them, as well as in other places in the galaxy. The light that emanated off of Ahsoka and her friends. 

And the darkness of those who hunted Ahsoka. That was evident too. 

But still, despite the darkness, Kaeden felt more relaxed than she ever had before. If this was how Ahsoka saw everything every day…

Well, she both envied and feared for Ahsoka. How could she cope with this all the time? It was overwhelming. 

In her head, she heard a voice. 

“Relax Kaeden. Listen. Listen to the force. What do you see?”

Ahsoka’s voice was a source of comfort to Kaeden during this experience. It meant that she was not alone. 

That she would never again be alone. 

“I see… I see hope. I see happiness.” Kaeden replied.

A warm rush of something brushed up against Kaeden in the force. Kaeden felt herself go wheezy slightly, swaying slightly to the side. Ahsoka, still deep in the force, reached out her hands to grip Kaeden’s arms, holding her steady. 

“Listen again. We are being watched.” Ahsoka spoke, pulling Kaeden in deeper. 

Kaeden did. Despite her severe lack of training and understanding, she listened. 

Nothing appeared at first, so she pushed harder, trying to find what Ahsoka was hearing. 

‘There! At the edge!’ Kaeden realized suddenly. Something was trying to push into the bond that she and Ahsoka were sharing. The attempted intruder was giving off a mixed signal. One of light and darkness. 

“It can’t be!” Kaeden heard Ahsoka whisper. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

“Who? Who is it Ahsoka? The Jedi we are after?” Kaeden replied, concern shooting through the shared bond.

As if a water supply had been cut off, the bond snapped, and Kaeden was brought out of meditation. Regaining her senses, she witnessed Ahsoka dash off into the jungle, as if following something. 

Kaeden had no time to lament the loss of the intimate contact she and Ahsoka had been sharing, instead she jumped to her feet and made to pursue Ahsoka.

Ahsoka had shown her a brief glimpse of the life she lived every day, and Kaeden was honoured to have experienced it. 

‘Perhaps one day we will do it again?’ Kaeden couldn’t help thinking, a rogue smile coming to her face as she entered the foliage before her, chasing after her Togruta comrade.

****************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka sprinted, pushing past various branches and leaves, darting between trees and vaulting over fallen logs. The signature she had detected in the force, one unmistakably that of a Jedi, was strong, yet reserved, and was tainted by the darkside. 

She couldn’t say that she recognized the signal from mere sense, but the images that sprung to her mind… no, that were given to her by this person, helped her identify. 

In them, she saw a talk man, with wavy black hair, and a yellow stripe across his nose, one that looked a lot like a tattoo. Beside him in the vision, was a tall female figure, one that resembled Asajj Ventress. The Ventress looking figure then faded away, leaving the man by himself, only looking slightly older now. 

Ahsoka didn’t know what Ventress had to do with this mysterious Jedi, but that didn’t matter. From the image she had seen, as well as descriptions given to her in the past by Obi-Wan, Ahsoka was sure on who she was hopefully about to encounter.

Pushing through another set of branches, Ahsoka came to a stop, face to face with what looked to be a homemade shelter, one constructed out of wood and leaves. Clearly, whoever lived here had built in as far away from any life, as to avoid being detected. 

The shelter was in good shape. No signs of decay or damage were present, suggesting that it was well looked after, and well lived in. Outside of the shelter, a small wooden device sat, one clearly used for cooking captured pray. 

Behind her, Ahsoka sensed movement, as Kaeden came bursting out of the foliage behind her, panting widely from the sprint. Clearly she was out of breath. 

Ahsoka reached out her hand to help Kaeden balance, giving the human woman time to re-adjust and get her energy back. It would not surprise Ahsoka if they had to run away very quickly all of a sudden. 

“Well, we found someone.” Kaeden spoke in between breaths. 

Ahsoka chose to remain silent, instead beginning to walk towards what she identified as the front door, a wooden archway covered in a drape of leaves. 

Pushing through the leaves, Ahsoka found herself in a spacious room, one decorated by wooden pedestals, as well as a rug made from the fur of some kind of creature. 

And there, standing in the centre of the rug, facing her, his face uncovered and his eyes steely, was the person she had been hunting.

Before her stood a Jedi Master. Another survivor of Order 66. 

Ahsoka almost leapt for joy, but restrained herself. Behind her, Kaeden moved into the shelter, taking her place by Ahsoka’s side, staring at the man in both awe and suspicion.

The three figures stood in silence for a brief moment, analysing each other. 

Then, the Jedi spoke. 

“Padawan Tano.” The greeting was simple, if not inaccurate. Despite that, Ahsoka chose to greet this man with the same courtesy he had her. 

“Master Vos.” Ahsoka replied, bowing to the Jedi. 

The tall man bowed back, before resuming his normal posture. 

“I have not been a Jedi master since the order fell, and perhaps even before that.” 

Quinlan Vos was about as rogue as a Jedi could get before turning to the darkside. He was pragmatic, and incredibly powerful, able and willing to do just about anything to achieve his goals. 

It was no wonder that his personality had often clashed with Obi-Wan’s.

“And I have not been a Jedi since I walked away from the order.” Ahsoka replied to Vos’ statement.

Vos nodded in understanding, clearly having studied her trial. 

“So you have not Ahsoka Tano. It is a shame we never met during the Clone War. Kenobi spoke highly of you.” 

Ahsoka allowed a small smile to come to her face. As much as she wanted to tell Vos that Obi-Wan was alive she couldn’t, for the sake of protected Padme’s son. 

“He spoke highly of you as well Vos. I can’t help but wonder if he was fearful of what we might have got up to if we had met.” Ahsoka allowed a small trace of humour to escape her tone. If what Kenobi said was true about Vos, then he and Ahsoka together would have made Anakin’s plans look sane by comparison.

Vos laughed aloud, something that very few Jedi ever did. Despite everything that had happened to them, Ahsoka was pleased to see that someone had retained a sense of humour. 

“Too true Ahsoka, too true. Kenobi always did try to get me to slow down. If only he…”

Vos’ demeanour changed suddenly when mentioning Obi-Wan. In his eyes, Ahsoka could see that he missed his friend, and that made it even harder for her not to tell him the truth.   
It was then that Ahsoka remembered the other person in the room. Turning to face Kaeden she gestured with her hand towards Vos. 

“Kaeden Larte, this is Jedi Master Quinlan Vos. Master Vos, this is my friend Kaeden Larte.”

Kaeden sheepishly raised her hand, waving at the Jedi. Kaeden didn’t know how to act around a Jedi. Her first time discovering Ahsoka’s true identity had been a disaster for her, and with Kanan…

Well Kanan acted like the complete opposite of a Jedi most of the time. He was very easy to get along with. 

To Kaeden’s surprise, Vos actually bowed in greeting, before again resuming his full height, a cheeky smile coming to his face and eyes.

“You been keeping Ahsoka occupied? Good. From what I heard she was something of a rapscallion in her youth. Nice to see her so grounded.”

Kaeden smirked back lightly, taking the opportunity presented to her to tease Ahsoka. It was something that very rarely occurred, so of course Kaeden would seize the opportunity. 

“Grounded? She head-butted one of the leading members of the Imperial Admiralty! I think it’s safe to say she is still somewhat crazy.”

Vos laughed again, especially when he saw the lock of mock betrayal on Ahsoka’s face. 

“Ha! That sounds like her! Oh how I wish I could have trained you myself, rather than that traitor Skywalker!” Vos spoke, his demeanour again changing when he reached the end of his speech. 

How did Vos know about Anakin becoming Vader?

Ahsoka chose to inquire. “You know what happened to Anakin?”

Vos nodded his head. “I may have been far away from Coruscant when Order 66 went down, but I sensed the shift in the force. The terror of the younglings in the temple. And an image of Anakin and what he had done.”

Vos had always been an expert in tracking, and was gifted with a strong understanding of visions. If he had said he had seen it, Ahsoka wouldn’t argue. 

Ahsoka swallowed back the remorse and anger she felt at the mention of Vader, before opening her mouth to report what had happened on Malachor. 

“Vader is dead. I killed him.”

Ahsoka had expected yet another person to offer her support, or to say, “Oh I’m so sorry Ahsoka, this must be hard on you. If you need to talk?”

In truth, it had been hard at first. She had killed her own master, despite what he had become. 

But as time progressed, she felt less and less guilty about it. 

He had become a monster. And she had done to right thing.

Ahsoka had no more tears to shed over Anakin Skywalker. 

If anything, she felt only disdain for him. 

Clearly Vos felt the same. 

“Good!”

That was Vos’ only response to the revelation, and Ahsoka was glad. She couldn’t take another pity party. 

“So, have you found anyone else?” Vos asked, interest and worry on his face. Despite all the rumours about Vos, it was clear to Ahsoka that he cared deeply for his Jedi brethren. 

“Were you aware that Depa Billaba had a padawan during the last months of the clone war?” Ahsoka enquired. 

Vos nodded, his brow rising in concern.

“Caleb Dume was it not?” Vos spoke. 

“Yeah, though these days he calls himself Kanan Jarrus. He’s also training his own apprentice, a young orphan from Lothal called Ezra.” Ahsoka detailed her friends to Vos. She could trust him, despite his reputation. 

Vos smiled in joy at the knowledge that there were others still out there. 

“Thank you for telling me Ahsoka, it’s nice to know I am not alone in the universe dominated by the dark.”

Ahsoka decided it was probably not the best idea to tell Vos about Maul and his unexpected alliance with Ahsoka. That might scare him away. 

Or make him go after Maul. 

“So…” Vos spoke again, taking a seat on a nearby wooden stall that looked like it had been crafted by Vos himself from a tree stump. “Why are you here?”

This was it. It was time to convince the Jedi Master to join them on this suicidal mission Ahsoka had planned. If he accepted, great! Ahsoka would welcome him with open arms. 

If he didn’t… then Ahsoka would honour his choice and leave. 

Talking a seat on the floor and crossing her legs, Ahsoka began. 

“Truth be told Master Vos, I seek your help. We have the chance to strike a crippling blow to the empire and eliminate Palpatine once and for all, as well as destroy a planet destroying superweapon he is building. I’m going on a dangerous mission, and I need help. When I heard that a Jedi had been spotted on Kashyyyk, I thought I’d check it out to at least make sure whoever it was was ok.”

Vos seemed to contemplate what Ahsoka was saying, listening to every detail. In his eyes, Ahsoka could see cogs turning, debating what to do.

“How dangerous?” Vos asked, his eyes steely and focused on Ahsoka’s.

“Rebel command called it a suicide mission, and forbade me from going on it. I’m going regardless, and I intend to prove them wrong.”

Vos grimaced slightly, before standing from his seat and moving to sit before Ahsoka. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel Vos reach out to her, providing a stable energy for her to latch onto. 

“You are much like your master young one, but I fear this mission will be a disaster for you, and not because it is suicidal.” Vos spoke kindly and with compassion. 

“What do you mean Master?” Ahsoka couldn’t help the title drop. The man before her was once a respected member of a powerful order, one in which she had grown up in. 

Despite her past, and despite the distance she had put up between herself and the Jedi, Ahsoka felt compelled to listen. 

“There is darkness in you Ahsoka Tano, one that I fear threatens to consume you. If you go to face Sidious, you could very well become everything that you seek to destroy.”

Ahsoka knew that Sidious was after her, and she knew she had had brushes with the darkside in the past.

But she wouldn’t ever fall to the darkside…would she?

“Master, we have a chance to end this! I can’t not go!” Ahsoka pleaded. 

“And I’m not going to stop you Ahsoka, I just want you to be careful.”

Ahsoka understood. Vos would not be coming with them. He felt that he had served his purpose that he had nothing left to give. 

Internally, Ahsoka disagreed. Externally…

Ahsoka understood. And she wouldn’t force him. 

Behind her, she heard Kaeden leave the shelter, giving the two some privacy. 

“Do what you have to do Ahsoka Tano, but never lose sight of who you are, and what makes you special. And more importantly, keep those who care for you close to you. They are the biggest advantage you have over the empire.” Vos spoke wisely, gesturing the Kaeden’s departing form during his speech. 

“I understand, and thank you Master Vos.” Ahsoka spoke, rising to her feet, Vos following suit.

The two stood facing each other for a moment, before bowing towards each other in a sign of respect. 

Reaching down into a pouch in her armour, Ahsoka extracted a piece of flimsi and handed it to Vos.

“I won’t tell anyone you are here Master, but those are the coordinates of our rendezvous for this mission if you change your mind. We meet in a fortnight.”

Vos nodded, placing the flimsi down nearby. 

“I thank you for your understanding Ahsoka. May the force be with you.” 

Ahsoka repeated the phrase, before turning to leave. 

Quinlan Vos was not what she expected. From all the stories told to her he was somewhat of a renegade, always willing to do the most ridiculous things. 

So the fact that he had refused to come along had surprised her at first, but as she read deeper into his force signature, she understood why.

Vos had lost something important to him, and he had never recovered from it. It had left him feeling worthless and unneeded, and so he preferred his solitary life. 

Ahsoka understood. She had felt similar after Order 66. 

Until she got to Raada that was, and met Kaeden. 

Ahsoka smiled lightly at the thought of the dark-skinned woman, before her train of thought fell back to Vos.

Vos thought he was alone in the world. He felt he had no friends left, that they had all died. 

‘But that wasn’t true! There was someone! And Vos of all people should be allowed to know.’ Ahsoka thought. 

Stopping before she left the shelter, Ahsoka turned to face Vos, who had been watching her leave, a sad smile on his face. 

“Obi-Wan is still alive as well. I can’t tell you where, but he is alive Quinlan.”

A bright smile filled Vos’ face, joy in his eyes. 

Ahsoka turned towards the exit, feeling happiness and content flooding through the force from Vos. 

He would be ok. He was a Jedi after all. 

Stepping back outside the shelter, Ahsoka was surprised to discover it was raining, and that Kaeden was standing out in it soaked.

The human saw her approach, a sheepish smile on her face. Growing up on a farming moon meant that Kaeden had rarely experienced such things, and clearly she was enjoying her chance.

“He not coming?” Kaeden asked, face turning somewhat downtrodden.

Ahsoka nodded. Today may have been a failure, but there was always the next day. 

“Vos has a lot on his mind. I don’t blame him.” Ahsoka spoke, stepping out into the downpour. Rain bounced off her armour, soaking her tunic underneath.

“I understand. Come on then, race you back to the ship!” Kaeden called out, before sprinting off in the direction they had come from, back through the foliage.

Ahsoka chuckled at her friend’s antics, before setting off to pursue the human woman through the jungle and the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi Vos, it's nice to see you alive.   
> Oh, you're not coming with us. :(
> 
> So I know I've taken some serious liberties with the use of the force in this chapter in regards to Ahsoka helping Kaeden feel it, but I liked the idea, and it gives them some more personal time together.   
> Also, if the force is connected to every living being, surelty even non-force sensitive people could be able to feel it with the right help.
> 
> Anyway, till next time.


	6. Clan Wren of Krownest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kanan and Zeb go to Krownest to speak to Sabine about the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... Mandalorian time.

Krownest was a cold desolate place. A planet that was practically covered in ice and snow from pole to pole. Sure, there were trees and other plant life, as well as a plethora of other creatures inhabiting the vast openness of the surface. But to most life, it was inhospitable. 

Krownest also happened to be the ancestral home of the Mandalorian clan of Wren. Whilst many other clans had competed for land and territory on Mandalore itself, the Wren’s had opted to conquer a far greater challenge. 

Their stronghold was remote and difficult to find for anyone…

That is if you didn’t know where to look. 

And within the stronghold were some of the strongest warriors Kanan Jarrus had ever worked with. Specifically, he was here to ask for the company of one individual. 

Well, he and his companion were anyway. 

“This is where Sabine comes from? This place is as bloody cold as that Geonosian moon!”

Kanan sighed at Zeb’s comment. The Lasat had been all excited to accompany Kanan to Krownest, the thought of seeing Sabine again filling both with internal joy. Kanan had missed their resident Mandalorian. 

Zeb was happy, until he found out it was an ice planet. Apparently, despite their fur and body mass, Lasats really didn’t like cold places. 

Not that Kanan could blame Zeb. The Jedi wasn’t too fond of the cold himself. But he was here for Sabine. That alone pushed him forward. 

“Just keep heading towards the coordinates I gave you Zeb. I’m sure someone will pick us up soon.” Kanan spoke. Zeb was currently piloting the Phantom towards the Wren stronghold, since Kanan couldn’t see. 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re doing all the talking though Kanan.” Zeb dryly responded, angling the Phantom lower into the atmosphere. 

The shuttle continued on its course for another minute, till the com link flared to life, indicating an incoming transmission.

“Rebel shuttle, this is restricted territory controlled by Clan Wren, state your business or we will open fire!” 

Outside the window, a pair of Mandalorian fighters pulled in alongside the Phantom. Zeb gulped nervously, waiting for Kanan to respond. 

Clearing his mind of any threat posed towards him, Kanan spoke. 

“Mandalorian vessel, this is Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus of Phoenix Squadron. I come to request an audience with Sabine Wren.”

Static followed afterwards, the Mandalorian on the other side clearly contacting her superiors for confirmation. 

“This better work Kanan!” Zeb growled under his breath. 

“Trust me Zeb, it will.” Kanan replied, slightly cocky. He was sure they wouldn’t be shot down. And even if they were, he was certain that Sabine would personally punish the culprit. 

Seconds passed, each one more tense than the other whilst the rebels waited for a reply.

Then one came.

“Master Jedi, you are cleared to land. Fenn Rau will meet you when you land.”

Kanan released a sigh of relief that he hadn’t even known he was holding in. 

“Copy Mandalorian fighter. Much appreciated.”

The communication cut off after that, and both Mandalorian fighters broke off from their pursuit, no doubt resuming their patrol routes. 

“Well, so far so good I guess.” Zeb said, altering the course of the Phantom slightly, descending towards the Wren stronghold. 

The shuttle landed with a relatively light landing, being cushioned partly by the thick layer of snow that had fallen the night before. Standing from his seat, Kanan moved to exit the Phantom, lowering the ramp and proceeding down. 

Though he couldn’t see, Kanan could feel a welcoming presence at the bottom of the ramp. 

Kanan respected Fenn Rau. The man had saved his life during the clone war, and despite everything that had happened since, he seemed willing to forge an alliance with the rebellion.   
That was why he and Sabine had gone to Krownest, to repair old wounds between family members, and hopefully recruit Mandalorian assistance in the long run.

Clearly, it hadn’t happened yet, and with the news of Sabine’s father being in captivity on Mandalore, Sabine and Rau had opted to stay and help Clan Wren plan a rescue mission. 

Kanan wondered if they had had the chance to enact it yet. 

“Kanan, it’s good to see you again. You here to see Sabine?” Rau spoke, his voice commanding of respect, with an elegant, yet friendly tone about it. 

“Likewise Rau, and yes, if she is here?” Kanan spoke. Behind him, he felt Zeb move to join the two. 

“She’s inside Master Jedi, I’ll take you to her.”

Kanan nodded, moving to follow Fenn Rau as he walked towards the stronghold. Behind him, Kanan could here Zeb comment on the scale of the place. 

Not being able to see, Kanan had wondered what the Wren stronghold looked like. If it was anything like the art that Sabine did, then it would be something unique and graceful.

It was times like these that Kanan wished he still had his sight.

*******************************************************************************************************************

It was a short walk into the compound, and out of the frigid cold, for which Zeb was glad for. He may have been ninety percent fur, but even he was cold. 

Still, it was worth it to see Sabine again. He had missed her more than he thought possible. 

She was his family, part of his kin. And he would do anything to protect them. 

Passing through a pair of grandiose doors, Zeb and Kanan found themselves in a large open room, equipped with what looked like a throne.

And seated on said throne was a regal looking woman, one who bared similarities to Sabine. 

‘This must be Sabine’s mother.’ Zeb thought, moving to stand next to Kanan as he was led forward by Rau. 

“Master Jedi, it is a pleasure to see you again.” The woman spoke, her voice commanding respect.

“Countess Wren, the feeling is mutual. I was wondering if we could speak to your daughter.” Kanan replied, respect dripping off his tongue. Zeb had never seen Kanan act this way around someone, save for Hera, before. And Zeb was fairly certain it was for different reasons than when around Hera. 

“Sabine and her brother shall be here shortly, as they have just returned from a hunt. In the meantime, I am afraid you will have to enjoy my company.” The elder Wren spoke, a small smile coming to her face. 

Zeb wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or not. Did Sabine’s mother like her friends or not? Zeb was aware of the history between the Jedi and the Mandalorians. Perhaps there was some hidden distrust between them.

“I understand Countess. Have you had any luck freeing your husband?” Kanan inquired, genuine concern in his voice. 

Clearly, Kanan’s concern surprised the woman, as a look of surprise briefly covered her face, her features softening at the mention of her husband. 

“I am afraid not Master Jedi. Alrich remains a prisoner on Mandalore for the moment. We have been working tirelessly to rescue him.”

Zeb was honestly surprised to see this side of a Mandalorian, let alone Sabine’s mother. She was clearly distraught at the thought of her husband in captivity. Who knew what the empire would be doing to him?

“I’m sorry Countess. But in time you will save him, I believe that. If there is anything I can do to help…”

And just like that, the Countess reverted back to a steely look, one of authority and sophistication. 

“I appreciate the offer Master Jedi, but this is a Mandalorian matter. I do not wish to expose you to any unnecessary conflict. You will have a hard enough time with Thrawn as it is.”

Zeb nearly shivered at the mention of the Chiss’ name. To many, he was some sort of imperial ethereal spirit. One who would appear at the worst possible moment and destroy everything. He had proven that he could during the Siege of Atollon. 

They had nearly lost everything that day.

Zeb snapped out of his thoughts briefly to notice the Countess staring at him, a peculiar expression on her face. 

“And you are…?”

Zeb nervously gulped, before taking a step forward and bowing to the woman. He didn’t know Mandalorian customs. He was guessing by this point. 

He could only hope that bowing to a Mandalorian wasn’t some sort of insult or challenge to their authority. 

‘Wait… bowing is a Jedi thing! Oh Karabast!’

There was no turning back now though. After bowing for a few seconds, Zeb resumed his full height. 

“Captain Garazeb Orrelios ma’am, formally of the Lasan High Honor Guard.”

Internally Zeb face palmed. What was he thinking, flaunting his success in such a way?

Beside him, Zeb heard Kanan chuckle. 

Risking a look at the woman before him, Zeb saw a look of amusement written on her face. 

“Honor Guard you say? A powerful position. You must be quite the warrior Garazeb Orrelios.”

Zeb almost did a double take. She approved of him?

“I am Countess Ursa Wren, leader of the Wren Clan and mother to Sabine, who I believe you serve with.”

Zeb nodded, showing the respect the countess deserved to her. 

“Yes Countess. She is my friend.” Zeb replied truthfully. 

“Then I thank you for looking out for my daughter when I could not.” Ursa returned softly, a strange sense of happiness in her voice. 

Zeb allowed himself to smile. 

Maybe Mandalorians weren’t so bad after all. 

*****************************************************************************************************

Returning to her home after so long had been hard at first. Practically everyone had distrusted her. Hell her own mother had tried to sell out her friends to Gar Saxon. 

And then Saxon had betrayed them, and Ursa had been forced to kill him to protect her daughter. 

And while that repaired some of the tension that existed within the Wren clan, it did little to dispel the concerns of others, especially in regards to the weaponry Sabine herself had designed for the empire during her days at the imperial academy. 

But despite this, they all managed to put aside their differences for the sake of a common goal, rescuing her father from Mandalore. And while they had yet to succeed, they were making progress. 

Yet that still did not completely stop the distrust that was evident, and Sabine Wren often found herself alone on Krownest. Sure, Fenn Rau would occasionally come to talk to her, but he had been more readily accepted into Clan Wren’s hierarchy than she had. 

Truthfully, Sabine was somewhat jealous of the fact that her own mother was more willing to accept the Protector than she was her own daughter. 

Still, at least Tristan was still talking to her. Sabine didn’t know what she would do without her brother’s support. He was a stabilising element to her, always willing to listen and offer advice, as well as spar and practise together. 

And right now, the two siblings walked together towards the central hall of the Wren family stronghold. Apparently someone wanted to speak to her.

Despite being back with her real family, Sabine found that she missed the company of the family she had made with the rebellion. The crew of the Ghost, despite its unorthodox members, were a second family to her, and had been there for her in times of need.

“So, what did you do this time Sabine?” Her brother, Tristan, quipped from beside her. 

Sabine allowed a smile to come to her face. Ever since they were young, Sabine had been seen as the adventurous child, the one who got into trouble, whilst Tristan was more reserved and generally well behaved. 

And he had never let Sabine forget it. 

“I haven’t done anything Tristan. For all I know I’m being called to clean up one of your messes.” Sabine replied with a smirk, agitating her brother. 

“Heh!” Tristan laughed lightly at Sabine’s response. The two continued down a large hallway, approaching the doorway that led to the central chamber. 

As the doors opened at their presence, Sabine saw two figures not dressed in Mandalorian armour standing before her mother, with Fenn Rau standing off to the side. 

A bright smile appeared on Sabine’s face when she recognized them.

“Kanan! Zeb! What are you two doing here? Where are the others?”

Both the Jedi and the Lasat turned in the direction of her voice, a similar smile donning their faces in recognition. 

“Sabine! It’s good to see you.” Zeb spoke first, crossing the distance between the two, his large hand resting on Sabine’s head and ruffling her hair affectionately, as if he was some sort of uncle. 

“Good to see you to big guy!” Sabine replied, pushing Zeb off of her. 

Behind her, Tristan snickered again, and Sabine resisted the urge to turn and punch him lightly. 

Sabine couldn’t see Kanan’s eyes beneath his mask, but she saw the smile, as well as the nod he gave her. 

Despite the fact that he was blind, she nodded back. She had a feeling he would see it anyway. The Jedi Knight had become immensely more powerful since his blinding. 

“We are here to ask you for your help, if you can provide it. The rest of the team is off doing the same with other people.” Kanan spoke, addressing Sabine personally, whilst simultaneously allowing his request to be heard by the other members present. 

Sabine saw a curious look overtake her mother’s face. 

“What’s up? Is it the empire?” Thrawn?” Sabine enquired. 

“Worse!” Zeb growled, exhaustion evident on his face. Clearly, this was important if Zeb of all people was concerned. 

Sabine turned to look at Kanan, sensing he had story to tell.

“One of Ahsoka’s agents has discovered that the empire is building a doomsday weapon, capable of destroying planets. Furthermore, he found out that the Emperor himself will be making a visit to the station in a fortnight’s time. Ahsoka wants to attack the station and destroy it when the imperial leadership is gathered, but rebel command thinks otherwise.”

Sabine listened to the details. If they had the chance to cut the head of the empire off in one move… why not take it?

Besides, if anyone could get it done, it was Ahsoka. The Togruta was a force to be reckoned with. Sabine hoped she was never on her bad side. 

“So, what do you need me for?” Sabine asked, confused. How did this relate to her?

It was Zeb that continued the story. 

“Senator Mothma banned Ahsoka from going, even stripped her of her rank and command. So Ahsoka is going against orders to assemble a team for this mission. We need as many skilled people as we can get, so we thought of you and your explosives.”

Ah. So that was why. They needed a team, one capable of taking down the empire. 

With no hesitation, Sabine produced her response. 

“I’m in!”

Silence filled the room, one born of shock. 

In the corner of her eye, Sabine saw a look of concern briefly cover her mother’s face, before returning to her normal steely look. It was nice to know that she actually cared. 

“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Zeb spoke, his tone full of joy. He was clearly happy to have another member of the family back together again. 

Sabine nodded at Zeb’s response, before a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. 

“Sabine, are you sure about this? We only just got you back, we can’t lose you now. What about father?” Tristan said with concern, worry present in his eyes.

Sabine turned to her sibling, flashing a smile at him cheekily. “I’ll be fine Tristan, Kanan and the others will take care of me.”

Tristan seemed to relent slightly, stepping back from Sabine and looking at the ground, as if contemplating something. 

Sabine didn’t need the force to sense he was conflicted by something. 

Then, with a strong resolve, Tristan’s head rose up and looked past Sabine, directly at Kanan. 

“If Sabine is coming, then so am I!”

“Tristan no!”

The tension in the room exploded suddenly, as both brother and sister stared each other down. One, desiring to protect his sister, and help where he could, the other, wanting to ensure no harm came to her brother. 

Neither Kanan nor Zeb said anything, it not being their place to intervene. 

In the end, it was Ursa Wren that broke up the dispute, as most parents did between their children. 

“Enough! Sabine you have chosen to assist your friends in their hour of need. That is a very honourable thing action to take, one worthy of the name Mandalorian. Your brother’s desire to help is the same as yours.”

“But mother, what about father?” Sabine retorted. In her mind, someone had to remain behind to rescue him when the time came. If both Sabine and Tristan were on this mission…

“I can handle the operation myself Sabine. You and Tristan had my permission to leave.” Ursa spoke, stepping down from her throne to approach her children. 

Sabine didn’t bother to reply. She knew deep down that Tristan would not change his mind. Once he was set on doing something, he rarely if ever backed out. 

“However, all I ask is that you keep my children safe Master Jarrus.” Ursa turned her attention to the Jedi in the room, who nodded his acceptance. 

“I’d sooner die than let anything happen to any of my friends Countess.” Kanan replied, respect in his tone. 

“As would I.” Zeb agreed. 

Their responses seemed to please Ursa, who turned back to her children, smiling at them briefly. 

“The good luck on your hunt, and ensure the Emperor gets what is coming to him.”

With that, Ursa Wren made to move out of the central chamber, not being able to bear saying goodbye to her children for what might possibly be the last time.

Sabine watched her mother briefly, before turning to walk with her brother back towards the Phantom, following behind Kanan and Zeb. 

Behind them all, Fenn Rau escorted.

As the group exited the stronghold and were back out in the frigid cold of Krownest, Sabine spoke. 

“Why Tristan? This is dangerous?”

Tristan shrugged his shoulders before replying. 

“Every mission is dangerous Sabine. If I can help in any way I will, even if that means volunteering for a suicide mission.”

Sabine sighed, before muttering under her breath. “Just don’t get killed brother.”

Tristan laughed. “If your friends are even as half as good as you say they are, then I doubt that will be happening.”

The group continued towards the Phantom, Zeb reaching it first and heading to the cockpit to warm the shuttle up. 

Next up the ramp was Kanan, followed shortly by the Wren siblings.

Then another surprise greeted them, as Fenn Rau followed up the ramp rather than head back to the stronghold. 

Taking a seat opposite the Wren’s, and next to Kanan, Rau looked over the others assembled, refraining from laughing at the confused expression of their faces. 

“What? I thought this was an open invitation? Was I wrong?”

No one said anything for a short while. Sabine joining was expected, and sort of depended on. Tristan had been a welcome addition to the team. 

But now Rau was volunteering as well. 

Kanan recovered first, a smile coming to his face. 

“The more the merrier Rau.”

Fenn Rau nodded at the Jedi, settling back comfortably in his seat as the ramp to the Phantom closed, the shuttle lifting off thanks to Zeb’s piloting. 

Kanan Jarrus had come to Krownest seeking help. Now he was leaving with three Mandalorians by his side.

He called that an excellent addition to the team. 

Kanan could only hope that the others were having similar success. 

And that Ezra had not got himself into trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the team, Sabine Wren, Tristan Wren and Fenn Rau.   
> Hope you liked this chapter. I'm not overly fond of the Mandalorians myself, but I wanted them involved, so here you go.   
> Next time round, we follow Ezra and Chopper as they travel to Lothal to recruit Ryder Azadi.


	7. The Former Governor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ezra and Chopper head back to Lothal to recruit Ryder Azadi.   
> And as expected... all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a shorter more action orientated chapter this time. Hope you all enjoy.

Why was it that every single time he came back to Lothal, Ezra Bridger found himself in a serious mess?

It was supposed to be a routine mission. Land on Lothal, find Ryder Azadi, and convince him to join the mission. 

It was so easy in fact, that AP5 could have managed it alone. 

But upon arrival above Lothal, Ezra’s A-wing had been shot down, crashing in the middle of a field on Lothal. The impact had not broken any bones, rather left him incredibly sore, and with a nightmare headache. Ezra counted himself lucky that was the only lasting damage. 

The A-wing however was beyond repair, meaning he now had to find a new way to get off Lothal. 

To make matters worse, only minutes after his crash landing, an imperial shuttle had shown up, spilling Stormtroopers all around him, pinning him down. 

And to top it all off, his only company during all of this was Chopper!

Suffice to say, Ezra had had better days. 

Deflecting another series of blasts with his lightsaber, whilst simultaneously firing his blaster with his other hand, Ezra risked a glimpse at Chopper. The young Jedi had ordered the droid to send and SOS out. It was Ezra’s hope that it would draw the rebel cell present on Lothal too him to assist. 

“How we doing Chopper? And sign of them yet?” Ezra yelled over the battle, deflecting another blast back at an unlucky trooper. 

The droid released a series of beeps, each one more offensive than the other one. 

“Just get it done Chop, I can’t do this all day!”

Ezra was at least grateful that Chopper was withholding any sarcastic comments at the moment. Clearly the droid recognized the severity of the situation, and was actively trying to help for once. 

Turning to blast another trooper with his blaster, Ezra’s eyes fell upon an approaching threat. 

Slowly walking towards him across the field was an AT-DP walker. At that range, there was nothing Ezra could do about it. 

If he wasn’t careful…

Then, suddenly, a loud sound echoed across the plains of Lothal. In the corner of his eye, Ezra noticed a bright yellow light trailing towards the AT-DP. Seconds later, the light hit the walker, and it erupted into flames, the shell collapsing onto the floor. 

Another sound reached Ezra’s ears afterwards, as a pair of speeders rapidly approached and flanked the Stormtroopers. 

Seated inside one of the speeders, Ezra recognized the figure of Ryder Azadi, firing a blaster at the imperials. 

“Ezra, over here!” The former governor yelled, motioning with his hand. 

Breaking off from his position, Ezra delved into the force, and jumped over the line of Stormtroopers, landing beside Ryder in the speeder.

Chopper meanwhile, had taken to the skies himself, using his rocket booster to fly above the combat, staying out of harms reach. 

Once Ezra was in position beside Ryder, the two speeders took off into the plains, escaping the imperial patrol. 

For what had been a close call, Ryder had arrived just in time.

“Thanks for the assist Ryder.” Ezra spoke with gratitude over the wind. 

Ryder, who was now directing the speeder back to his hidden encampment in the rocks of Lothal, nodded.

“Anytime Ezra. But what are you doing back on Lothal?”

Now was not the time to explain everything, Ezra thought, not with the possibility of the imperials being on their tail. 

“Once we get to your base I’ll let you know. Oh, and I may need to borrow a ship from you.” The young Jedi replied, a sly smile coming to his face. 

Ryder merely laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less Bridger.”

**************************************************************************************************

Lieutenant Yogar Lyste read over the report from the troops that had survived. Apparently, a rebel fighter had crashed been shot down on Lothal, and a detachment of troops had been sent to investigate the crash site. Upon arrival, they had come face to face with the young Jedi Ezra Bridger. 

Since Thrawn had left Lothal, Lyste had been put in charge of the military operations. Always eager to impress his seniors, Lyste had gone to work as best he could quelling the rebel cell that seemed to frequently operate in the area. If the word of Governor Pryce was to be believed, their leader was a man named Ryder Azadi, the former governor of Lothal. 

If Lyste could capture him, it would surely mean a promotion. 

Turning to the officer who had delivered the news to him, Lyste issued his commands. 

“I want a sweep of the area they were last seen in. We need to find out where they are coming from.”

The trooper nodded his understanding, before heading off to deliver the orders to his cohorts. 

Lyste watched the trooper leave, before turning to re-read the report.

Hopefully, a sweep of the area would turn something up.

************************************************************************************************************

The trip back to the small rebel encampment didn’t take too long. In that time, Ryder had been filling Ezra in on what had been happening on Lothal since their last visit. 

“Thrawn’s TIE Defender program appears to come to a bit of a standstill since you stole his prototype. I don’t know if he’s been pulled from the project or something else.” Ryder spoke, as the speeder arrived in the centre of a series of rocks. Before them was the rebel encampment. There were not many people around, suggesting that Ryder had had trouble recruiting people. 

But still it was good to see that there were people who believed they could make a difference. 

Stepping out of the speeder, Ezra moved with Ryder to his makeshift command centre, Chopper landing behind them and following. 

Moving past a series of boxes, Ezra found himself at a small holographic table. Ryder moved up to the controls, powering up the device, and began examining the image on it. It was a tactical readout of Lothal, the locations of the imperial troops, as well as patrol routes to avoid. 

“We’ve done what we can in your absence. Raiding conveys and gathering supplies, as well as offering refuge to anyone seeking it. Rather small scale really in comparison to what you have been doing Ezra.” Ryder spoke, his tone somewhat bleak. 

“You’re doing good Ryder. Every little helps.” Ezra offered in comfort. Ryder really was doing well. He had managed to single handily create a rebel cell on Lothal, one that operated effectively. He may not be attacking major military installations, but he was saving innocents from harm with his actions, giving them hope for a better tomorrow. 

“I just wish I could do more Ezra.”

A small smile came to Ezra’s face. ‘Perfect.’ He thought.

“You can. The reason I came here was to ask for your help.”

Ryder turned to look at the young Jedi in surprise.

“What do you need? Smuggle you into the capital?” Ryder asked. 

Ezra laughed. Usually that would be the case, but this time it was more severe. 

“We are putting together a team to assassinate the Emperor at the next ‘Meeting of the Moffs’. Apparently it’s being held on some superweapon the empire is building. The entire imperial leadership will be there.”

Ryder’s face lit up in anticipation for such an event. “Nice! We can crush to empire in one move. Who’s leading the attack?”

“Ahsoka Tano is, but rebel command doesn’t want her to go, so we are going against orders. Ahsoka said to look for people who might be willing to help, so I thought of you.” Ezra finished. If Ryder agreed to help, great. 

If not, well Ezra would have to look for someone else. 

Ryder nodded at Ezra’s explanation, the cogs clearly turning in his head as he contemplated the plan. 

“Going against orders huh? Dangerous idea, but if it’s our only chance to get the Emperor, we have to take it.”

Ezra’s eyes widened at Ryder’s comment. “We? Does that mean you are in?”

“Sure kid. Why not.” Ryder patted the young Jedi on the back, making Ezra stumble forward slightly. 

‘That was easier than I anticipated.’ Ezra thought. He had expected to have to persuade the former governor much more than he had had to. 

“Excellent. Well we have all agreed to meet in a fortnight’s time at a hidden rendezvous point. We just need ship to get there with.” Ezra spoke, turning back to the map of Lothal that was present. 

Ryder studied the map, before moving his hand to touch a specific area. The holographic interface registered his touch, and the image zoomed in on an imperial compound. 

“I think I know where we might get one from, as well as some supplies for our mission.”

********************************************************************************************************************

Sneaking into an imperial compound was something Ezra Bridger had done many times before.

Sneaking into an imperial compound to steal a Lambda class shuttle was something he had only done once, and on that day he had been attacked by Vader. 

So Ezra could only hope that today would go smoothly. 

Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

Bypassing the security guards had been easy. Both he and Ryder had disguised themselves as troopers, whilst Chopper played the role of imperial droid. 

Ezra’s paint job on Chopper wasn’t perfect, not like how Sabine did it, but it would do the job just was well. 

Walking down a long hallway towards the landing pads where the shuttles were kept, Ryder spoke. 

“Hopefully there will be no guards. If there are…”

“We might have to fight our way out.” Ezra finished for him. 

Behind them both, Chopper grumbled. 

Rounding another corner, Ezra and Ryder came face to face with another door. 

“The landing pad should in theory be on the other side.” Ryder spoke. 

Ezra nodded, signalling Chopper to open the door. 

Predictably however, this was when things started to go wrong. 

Chopper did manage to open to doors. 

But he set an alarm off in the process. 

Sirens whirled as the breach in security was registered, deafening Ezra slightly. 

“Oh good job Chopper well done. I bet you did that on purpose didn’t you!”

Chopper produced a series of indignant beeps, sounding offended by Ezra’s remark. 

Sprinting through the doorway with Ryder, Ezra spotted a Lambda shuttle, with a squad of troopers guarding it. 

“We gotta go through them.” Ryder called. 

Ezra agreed, reaching behind himself to extract his lightsaber from its concealed position. Igniting the blade, Ezra charged the troopers, with Ryder providing support. 

**********************************************************************************************************************

The sound of the alarm woke Yogar Lyste from his nap. The imperial snapped to business immediately, moving towards the comm terminal. 

“What’s going on down there?” Lyste yelled, hoping someone would respond.

Seconds later, a trooper did. 

“Sir, two rebels, including the Jedi have infiltrated the compound. We think they are trying to steal a shuttle.”

Lyste’s eyes widened in alarm. Why did they always try to steal his shuttles?

“Do not let them escape trooper, I shall send in backup.”

“Copy that sir.” The trooper responded before cutting the line. 

Lyste could have sworn he heard the sound of blaster fire in the background of the call. 

*************************************************************************************************************

Deflecting a series of blasts with his emerald saber, Ezra called on the force, and directed a force push at a pair of Stormtroopers, who both went flying backwards into a collections of crates. 

The impact knocked them out cold.

From behind Ezra, Ryder shot another trooper, covering the young Jedi whilst he deflected. 

“Chopper! Get the shuttle ready!” Ezra called. The droid beeped in confirmation, wheeling his way up the ramp of the Lambda shuttle and interfacing with a terminal. 

“This sort of stuff always happen to you?” Ryder called out, moving behind a crate himself. 

“All the time. Get used to it.” Ezra replied sarcastically, releasing another force push at a trooper that was attempting to flank him. 

The small skirmish only lasted a few more moments, before the all of the troopers were either out cold, or too wounded to fight.

Extinguishing his saber, Ezra sprinted towards the shuttle, boarding in just after Ryder had done. 

Behind them, the doors to the shuttle pad opened again, and yet another platoon of Stormtroopers came to reinforce their comrades. 

But it was too late. By the time they had gotten into positon, Chopper had powered up the shuttle, closed the ramp, and headed for orbit. 

Ezra allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Despite the challenge, they had gotten out unscathed, and with a new recruit to boot. 

************************************************************************************************************************

Yogar Lyste dismissed to officer that had come to report the stolen shuttle. Once again, the rebels had outwitted him. Looking down at the datapad, Lyste took note of the serial number of the shuttle. Perhaps it could be used to track the rebels, Lyste didn’t know. 

All he did know was that he had no chance against a Jedi. 

But he knew of someone who did. 

Approaching the comm terminal in his office, Lyste keyed in a highly classified number, one that was only reserved for the most dire of circumstances. 

Seconds later, the call was received, and a hologram of the person he had been expecting appeared before him.

Lyste had never met an Inquisitor before, but from what he had heard, they were the exact opposite of Jedi. 

And they were experts in hunting them too. 

“Lieutenant Lyste, isn’t it? What can I do for you?” The Eighth Brother spoke, his voice distorted, both by the hologram and his helmet. 

“Inquisitor, I apologise for the call, but I believe I have a lead on a Jedi. A young boy with a lightsaber recently stole an imperial shuttle from Lothal.”

The Inquisitor nodded. “No doubt that was Ezra Bridger. You were right to call Lieutenant. You said he stole an imperial shuttle? Can you give me its serial code?”

Lyste nodded, reading out the code to the Inquisitor, who seemed to be noting it down on something. 

“Excellent work Lieutenant. I will pursue the Jedi from here. You have done well today.”

Lyste was surprised. From what he had heard, most Inquisitors were quite rude when dealing with subordinates such as himself. 

But this one seemed different. 

“Thank you Inquisitor. Good hunting.”

The Inquisitor nodded, before disconnecting the channel. 

Lyste stepped away from the terminal. 

It was nice to be appreciated by someone for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter before the most recent Lothal based episodes of rebels aired. Hence why Lothal is not burning, or why Ezra didn't encounter any Loth-Wolves.   
> And since the events of 'Through Imperial Eyes' did not occur in this AU, Lyste has not been detained for suspected treason.  
> So this chapter sort of sets up a confrontation for a future chapter, so I hope you are looking forward to that.   
> Next chapter, we check in with Grand Admiral Thrawn as he teams with with Governor Pryce to investigate the secrets of Krennic's battlestation.


	8. An Imperial Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn teams up with Pryce to hunt down the truth about the battlestation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... super short chapter this time around. Sorry. :(

Grand Admiral Thrawn strode towards the hanger bay, eagerly anticipating the arrival that had been scheduled. The Emperor was not due for another week, and Thrawn’s attempts to uncover more about the truth of the battle station had come to a dead end. Even the Inquisitor had turned up no new information, apologising before heading off station to deal with something classified. 

That had left Thrawn alone in the company of two power-hungry sadists, and one ISB commander. He got on well with Yularen, the two sharing the same analytical eye as one other. 

But Tarkin and Krennic were borderline unbearable. 

Tarkin thought himself superior to everyone in every respect. And Krennic would not shut up half the time.

Why the Emperor favoured either of them was a mystery to the Chiss, and he doubted he would ever find out. 

Stepping into the hanger bay, Thrawn noticed that the person he wanted to speak to had already arrived. 

Standing in the centre of the bay, listening half-heartedly to Director Krennic, was Governor Arihnda Pryce, the governor of Lothal. She too had clearly been invited to the ‘Meeting of the Moffs’, and Thrawn was glad. 

Finally, someone he actually liked and got on with was here. 

Noticing the Chiss approach her, Pryce broke off her conversation with Krennic, much to the Director’s dismay, and turned her attention to Thrawn.

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, I trust you are well?”

Thrawn nodded his confirmation. “Indeed Governor. As you are I see.”

The two had known each other a long time, and unlike many members of the imperial leadership, Pryce did not judge Thrawn because of his species. The two had developed an easy working relationship, despite their outwardly cold demeanours. 

They had become fast friends, and natural allies. 

“Director Krennic was just telling me about this magnificent project. Apparently it is nearly constructed.” Pryce spoke, in what sounded to most people like a compliment.  
Thrawn could tell otherwise. Pryce wasn’t all that impressed.

However, clearly Krennic did not know that, as the human approached from the side with a smug smile on his face. 

“You flatter me governor. Project Stardust shall be ready for testing by the time the Emperor himself arrives, you can be sure.”

Inwardly, Thrawn rolled his eyes. 

Outwardly, Pryce did the same. 

“See that it is Director. Come Grand Admiral, it has been too long since we spoke.” Pryce ended the conversation there and then, walking off towards the exit of the hanger bay, leaving Krennic behind. 

Thrawn wasted no time following her. 

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn had barely managed to sit down at his desk in his room before Pryce spoke. 

“You have that look on your face again.”

Thrawn turned to look at the human woman, who was seated in another chair reading a datapad. 

“What look?” The Chiss replied. 

“The ‘I’m investigating something top secret’ look.” Pryce replied with a small smile. She knew him too well by now. 

And Thrawn knew that if he couldn’t trust Pryce, then he couldn’t trust anyone. 

“What do you know about this station, other from what Krennic told you?” Thrawn inquired.

Pryce placed the datapad down on her lap, looking the Chiss directly in his red eyes.

“Only that it cost trillions of credits and countless resources to construct. Krennic said that it will ‘Bring order to the galaxy’. Why, what have you found out?” 

Thrawn stood from his seat, moving over to the door to lock it, ensuring no one could interrupt them.

A curious look appeared on Pryce’s face. Now she realised that this was serious!

“I get the feeling that this station is more than a simple station. Why would it cost that amount of money to build? The Emperor is hiding something big. Something he doesn’t want us to know about?”

To anyone else, this was treasonous talk, something that should be punished by death. 

But right now, it was a simple talk between friends. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time the Emperor has hidden something from us my friend, but I sense there is more to this?”

Thrawn nodded. “According to the Inquisitor, there is a massive kyber crystal somewhere on the station. I don’t know what it’s for, but I intend to find out.”

Pryce’s face lit up in surprise. “A kyber crystal? Aren’t those used to power lightsabers?”

“Indeed, but this one is far larger than anything we have ever seen. If one so small can power a weapon such as a lightsaber…” Thrawn began.

“Then what could one much larger be used for? I see your concern Thrawn.”

Thrawn contemplated what was going on. What exactly did the Emperor need with a crystal so large, and what connection to the station did it have? 

“You said the Inquisitor told you this? How did he know?” Pryce voiced her concern about the Terrelian. Thrawn understood, neither he nor Pryce were overly fond of the Eighth Brother, but right now he was a useful ally. 

“He shares the same concerns I did. So he did some research for me, but found nothing. He’s currently away on an assignment.”

Pryce nodded, before sinking into her internal thoughts. 

Thrawn waited patiently for an answer. 

After a few moments, Pryce spoke. 

“Well then my friend, let’s ask our resident spy master.”

************************************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn stood beside Pryce as the two waited outside the office door, waiting to be received. 

The office, which was normally spare, had been given to Colonel Yularen once he had arrived. The ISB Colonel had set up shop there, monitoring his network of spies for any signs of the rebellion.

Yularen was a smart man, but Thrawn wasn’t sure if he trusted him completely. Rumour had it he had once served with Ahsoka Tano. For all Thrawn knew, he could very well be another agent of hers, as the turncoat Kallus had been revealed to be in the past. 

The door to Yularen’s office opened, and the Colonel was waiting for them inside. 

Pryce entered first, taking a seat opposite Yularen. Thrawn opted to stand instead. 

“Governor, Grand Admiral. What do I own this visit?” Yularen spoke with a clear, if not accented tone. 

Yet he seemed to harbour no animosity towards the two, unlike both Tarkin and Krennic. 

“Colonel, I was wondering if you had any information about this battle station that you could share with us.” Pryce was straight to the point, not trying to disguise her intent.  
Thrawn nearly gasped in alarm. What if Yularen suspected something?

“I’m afraid not Governor. I know about as much as you do. All I can say is that we will be shown by the Emperor himself when he arrives.” Yularen spoke, clearly also annoyed at being kept in the dark about whatever the secret was. 

‘This could work to our advantage.’ Thrawn thought. If Yularen was also having doubts…

“I see. Tell me Colonel, does it strike you as strange that you have not been told anything?” Pryce continued. 

“Indeed. Something suspicious is going on, and I’m not sure any of us will like what we discover. If I find out anything new, you two will be the first to know.” Yularen spoke in a quiet tone, as if trying not to be overheard. 

“Thank you Colonel, we shall do the same for you.” Pryce finished, rising from her chair and heading for the door. 

“My pleasure.” Yularen replied before returning to his paperwork.

Thrawn, not having said anything since entering the office, left afterwards.

Pryce was waiting outside, and the two headed off back towards Thrawn’s quarters. 

As they walked, Thrawn voiced his opinion on the discussion with Yularen. 

“If the ISB Colonel does not know…”

Pryce finished his train of thought. 

“Then this secret is possibly quite dangerous. You were right to investigate my friend.”

Thrawn nodded. He was right! Something was up, and until the Inquisitor returned to assist further Thrawn and Pryce would have to investigate themselves. 

Somehow, Thrawn got the feeling that whatever this secret was would divide opinion.

And whatever it was clearly as meant for more than just ‘maintaining the peace’.

Despite the risk it posed, Thrawn would find out the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite how short it was, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
> Updates will slow again for a bit as I'm having a bit of trouble with a future chapter, so sorry.  
> But next time around we check in with Hera as she goes to recruit someone to join the mission.


	9. The Liberator of Ryloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hera Syndulla travels to recruit her team member.  
> And Miara Larte gossips about the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time around. Hope you all enjoy.

“So, you’re saying you managed to not only recruit Sabine, but her brother and Rau too? How did you manage that?” Hera Syndulla exclaimed, a rogue smile on her face. 

“Oh you know. My charm is irresistible.” Kanan replied. 

Rolling her eyes, Hera watched as a cheeky smile appeared on Kanan’s face. They may have been talking via hologram, but even then Hera felt comfort. Comfort knowing that he was alive and well. 

“Oh I’m sure Hera knows all about your charm Master Jedi.” A new voice interrupted discussion. 

Hera shifted her head from Kanan, welcoming the presence of the person as they sat down in the co-pilot chair of the Ghost. Miara Larte had volunteered to assist Hera, since they had agreed on teams of two for the recruitment stage. And to be truthful, Hera was grateful to have the company of the upcoming expert pilot that was Miara. Ever since Atollon, and the business with the Defender, Miara had held off any more flying, preferring to work on maintenance and other menial jobs. 

Suffice to say that pleased Miara’s sister, who had been worried sick during the Siege of Atollon. 

Hearing a small chuckle from Kanan, Hera turned her gaze back to his hologram. 

“So what’s your plan Kanan? We still have a while before we agreed to meet at Raada.” Hera inquired, ever the leader. 

“We’re off to acquire some high grade explosives for the mission. Kallus reported in and told us where two stockpiles could be found. I’ll go check one, and I’ll get Ezra to check the other.” Kanan replied, his hologram shifting in his seat slightly. 

It was a good plan. Even if they got onto the station, and got to the Kyber crystal, if they didn’t possess a way of destroying it then it would have all been for nothing.

“Keep me updated Kanan. And be safe ok?” Hera’s voice softened with concern, worry flowing through her mind. 

“Will do Hera. Talk later.”

And with that, Kanan cut to comm link, his hologram fading from view, leaving the cockpit of the Ghost quiet. 

Hera suddenly felt very lonely. 

Beside her, she felt a hand come down on her shoulder, giving a light squeeze. 

“He’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Miara encouraged gently.

Hera nodded, turning he attention back to the situation at hand. 

Before Kanan had called, Hera had been piloting the Ghost towards Ryloth, her homeworld. 

When the discussion of recruiting people to take down the emperor had first come up, a specific individual came to Hera’s mind immediately. One who had been the target of an attempted assassination by the emperor before. One who had survived, and was more than willing to exact revenge on the emperor. 

Her father.

The trouble was finding him. Despite the fact that they had patched up their relationship, Cham Syndulla often kept to the shadows in between major operations, ensuring that the empire lost his trail, giving him an advantage for the next strike. 

It was a tactic that he had used against the emperor, one that had succeeded, despite the odds. It was very rare for the emperor to intervene personally, so for him to personally go after her father spoke volumes for threat that Cham posed to the empire. 

And it was exactly that sort of person they would need for this suicide mission of theirs. 

“So, how are we going to find your father?” Miara inquired, gazing out the cockpit window down at Ryloth. 

The Ghost had exited hyperspace not long ago, and rather than descend into orbit, Hera had maintained position above the planet, monitoring all communications to and from the planet. 

It was Hera’s hope that by being patient, something would happen to identify her father’s location. 

“We wait for something to explode. That will probably be him.” Hera replied with humour in her tone. Cham did have a knack for blowing important imperial installations out of the sky. 

Miara pulled a peculiar face at Hera’s comment, before going back to monitoring the transmissions. 

Silence remained in the cockpit of the Ghost, no clue as to Cham’s whereabouts surfacing. 

In the meantime, Hera mulled on what was to come. 

There was a very real possibility that none of them was coming back from this mission alive. For all Hera knew, they would become martyrs, whether success or failure. 

But she trusted Ahsoka, and while her plan might be a little reckless, she was the only one willing to do anything about it. 

So Hera willingly went along with the plan, orders be damned. 

More silence passed between the two individuals, with still no sign of Cham. 

It was then that Miara asked a question that Hera was not anticipating. 

“So, how long has it been going on between you two?”

Hera turned to look at Miara, who stared back at the Twi-lek with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

‘Oh here we go.’ Hera thought. She should have expected this.

“How long had what been going on?” Hera asked, already knowing what was about to follow, or at the very least, presuming. 

From the way Miara acted, particularly around her sister, Hera had a feeling that she liked to know all the details. 

Even the more private ones. 

“You and Kanan. You obviously like each other, maybe even more! Are you together already? Or does his ‘Jedi code thingy’ stop him from actually doing anything?”

It was a weird series of questions, ones that confounded Hera. Sure, she and Kanan were not exactly discreet with the way they talked to one another. But she had a commitment to the rebellion, not Kanan. 

‘Liar!’ Hera’s subconscious spoke, betraying her own mind. 

Deep down, Hera knew that her subconscious was right. 

Rather than outright tell Miara, Hera opted for the safer approach, one that had worked numerous times in the past. 

“We’re just friends. We’ve known each other a long time. It’s only natural that we are close after everything we have done together.”

Clearly however, this was not going to work this time around. Rather than nod and return to whatever it was they were doing previously, as most did when Hera replied with similar answer, Miara instead rose her eyebrows, a look of scepticism on her face.

Seconds later, Miara confirmed what she was thinking.

“Is that really the best you can do?”

Sighing, Hera sunk slightly in her seat. It was always awkward for her when people questioned, or even pointed out her and Kanan’s relationship. Sure… Hera felt something for Kanan. To be truthful she felt a lot for him.

And as far as she knew, Kanan felt the same. 

But neither had gone through with their feelings yet, either because of fear, or something else. 

They were both committed to the rebellion, despite Kanan’s doubts at the beginning. To them, that would always come first.

Still, it was clear that there was no deceiving Miara, so Hera opted to be honest.

“It’s complicated.”

And that was certainly the truth. If circumstances were different, if there was no empire to fight. 

Then maybe, just maybe.

Miara understood, as she nodded her head, leaving the subject well enough alone. It was clear to the human that it was a touchy subject for Hera. 

A few more moments passed with silence, slight tension in the air from the previous discussion. 

Then once again, Miara spoke. 

“Well at least you’re more discreet than my sister.”

Hera allowed a small smile to come to her face. She had seen the way Kaeden acted around Ahsoka. It was almost hysterical. 

“What’s the story there then?” Hera inquired. She hadn’t asked about the background of the Larte’s before, considering it seemed to be a rather personal story.

But since they were talking about personal things…

“Ahsoka came to our home planet about a year after the empire took over, calling herself Ashla. We didn’t know she was a Jedi at the time, or former Jedi, whatever.” Miara began.  
Hera listened. It seemed that Ahsoka’s post clone war story was similar, yet different than Kanan’s. Whereas he had taken to a darker lifestyle, going smuggler and quasi-pirate, Ahsoka had opted to simply hide away and help those in need. 

Miara continued on. “We eventually found out she was a Jedi, and after my sister got captured by an Inquisitor, Ahsoka went and broke her out. Took on an Inquisitor bare handed from what I remember.”

Hera’s eyes widened. She knew Ahsoka was a formidable fighter, but to take on an Inquisitor without a weapon?

“Anyway, throughout all of this, Kaeden pretty much spent the entire time ogling Ahsoka. It was pretty pathetic to be honest, especially considering how oblivious Ahsoka seemed to be about it all.”

Hera chuckled. Despite being a dangerous threat to the empire, Ahsoka Tano was a bit oblivious about personal things it seemed.

But then Hera couldn’t blame her really. She had been betrayed by everyone she had ever known. Why should she trust anyone these days?

Before either Miara could continue, or Hera ask a question, the dashboard of the Ghost lit up before Miara. 

Springing into action immediately, Miara reached forward, her fingers moving over the various switches, before stopping to read something.

“Apparently, just moments ago, a group of Twi-leks attacked a fighter depot riding on something called a Blurrg. What the hell is a Blurrg?”

“Two legged beast. We use them for transport, as well as mounts during combat. Where did it happen?” Hera replied.

Miara moved her hand across the dashboard, bringing up a set of coordinates for Hera to enter. 

“Sounds like some sort of secret imperial fighter yard on Ryloth. No idea what’s going on there, but clearly your father thought it important enough to attack.” Miara responded. 

Hera had to agree. If her father was willing to openly attack a military complex, then the empire was up to something detrimental. 

Grasping the flight controls of the Ghost in her hands, Hera directed her ship down into the atmosphere of Ryloth, heading directly to the coordinates provided. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

A few minutes of careful and precise flying later, the Ghost found itself emerging from some thick cloud coverage over Ryloth’s open plains. From her position, Hera could see nothing by empty landscape in all directions. 

All except for one. 

A large collection of rocks stood to the east, creating a maze like area. From above, it looked difficult to navigate, and there was nowhere to land the ship. 

Hera could only imagine how easy it would be to get lost in there on foot. 

So where she saw a brief glimpse of what appeared to be weapons fire within the rock maze, Hera’s stomach dropped. 

Of course her father would try to lure the imperials deep into something like that. He had hoped to either lose them in the maze, or confuse them long enough to dispose of them.  
Clearly his attack on the imperial fighter yard had upset the imperial commander in charge. 

“I’m guessing that’s your father down there?” Miara quipped from beside Hera, awe in her tone.

Sighing, Hera navigated the Ghost towards the scene of the combat, hoping to assist those in need. 

*************************************************************************************************************************

Cham Syndulla was having a bad day. 

Not that it had starting out bad, in fact, all had gone according to plan. 

He had attacked the imperial installation where they had apparently been constructing some new prototype fighter, and he had successfully sabotaged the assembly lines, destroying a vast quantity of equipment in the process. 

And then, when it came time to retreat and hide, it had all gone horribly wrong. 

He had attacked the installation with three other Twi-leks, hoping that a small team would be able to infiltrate effectively without being spotted. 

They had succeeded, until one of his own had betrayed him, and revealed himself to be a spy sent by Grand Admiral Thrawn. 

How Thrawn had managed to persuade the Twi-lek was beyond Cham, not that it mattered in that moment. 

Seconds after the betrayal had been revealed, which had consisted of the traitor killing one of Cham’s men, a squad of heavily armed black troopers had shown up. 

Cham had only ever heard about them from his daughter before. Apparently they were called Death Troopers, and were the elite of the elite. 

And they had proved to be so, as they had forced Cham and his remaining ally back, killing his other comrade in the process. 

So Cham had run, got on his Blurrg, and set off into the distance, the Death Troopers and the traitor Twi-lek in pursuit. 

In a straight up fight, there was no way that Cham could win, so he had directed his Blurrg straight towards a maze like rock collection, hoping to ambush them in there one by one, giving him a chance to escape. 

It was times like this that Cham wished his daughter was here to help. 

“Come out come out wherever you are Syndulla!” A Twi-lek voice echoed through the maze, the voice of the traitor. 

Cham’s hand tightened around his blaster in anger. He was looking forward to killing that traitorous worm. 

In his heart, he was glad that neither Numa or Gobi had accompanied him on this mission, otherwise they could have ended up dead. 

Turning a corner in the maze, Cham was surprised. He had very nearly walked into the back on one of the Death troopers. 

Said trooper had clearly not heard him, thus giving Cham an opportunity. 

Holstering his blaster, Cham reached down to his leg and unsheathed a vibro blade that had been gifted to him long ago. 

Now it would prove useful.

Moving quickly and with grace that not many expected him to possess, Cham moved behind the Death trooper, and brought the blade down in a gap between armour pieces. 

The blade pierced through the undersuit instantly, the Death trooper giving out a sharp cry of pain as he collapsed to the ground. 

It was less noisy than a blaster, and would be less likely to draw any attention. 

Sheathing the blade back to his leg, Cham turned and continued down the path he had been going on. 

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was lost. He only hoped that the imperials were too. 

Eventually, the maze turned into a staging ground for a game of cat and mouse. The imperial death troopers, and their allied Twi-lek hunted for Cham, little knowing that one by one they were being picked off by their target. 

Cham was being silent but deadly, a rare feat for him.

Soon, unbeknownst to both sides, it was down to a three versus one. 

Cham slowly moved down another passageway of the maze, still seeking both an exit and his foes. 

Turning another corner, Cham found himself face to face with a pair of Death troopers, as well as the traitor. 

No one moved or spoke for a split second. Instead, looks of surprise came across all faces, even those covered by helmets. 

And then the troopers opened fire at Cham.

The Twi-lek narrowly avoid several fatal shots, sprinting back round the corner had come from. There was no way he was about to win a face to face confrontation, so he had to outrun his foe. 

Behind him, Cham heard the footsteps of the pursuing imperials, as well as discharges from their blasters as they tried to land a shot on him.

Cham himself fired his own blaster behind him a few times, hoping to either slow his pursuers down, or if lucky, land a direct hit. 

When neither occurred, Cham abandoned that plan and continued running, turning another corner.

Suddenly, Cham found himself in a wide open space. By running random directions from his pursuers, he had somehow escaped the maze inadvertently. 

And now the imperials would follow him outside of the maze too, giving him no place to hide.

“Oh this is just perfect. Nice job Cham, well done.” Cham muttered to himself. 

In the moment he had frozen in surprise at discovering the way out, the imperials had caught up to him. 

“It’s over Syndulla… surrender!” The traitor spoke, his accented voice being somewhat dulled by the wind. 

Turning to face his would be executioners, Cham raised his blaster for a final stand.

“I will never surrender you traitor!”

The Twi-lek traitor’s eyes sharpened in rage, before raising his own blaster, killing intent evident in his eyes. 

Cham braced himself for what was to come. 

But it never did.

Rather than go down in a rain of blaster fire, Cham heard the sounds of a ship appear behind him. 

Chaos reigned in the next few seconds, as the large cannons of the ship fired at the Death Troopers and their Twi-lek ally, cutting them down in seconds. 

Cham turned on the spot once again, expecting to come face to face with one of his own ships. 

Instead, it was to welcome surprise that he saw before him the ship of his daughter. 

“Hera!” Cham called out, waving up at the cockpit in delight. 

From her seat, Hera waved back, an equally warm smile on her face. 

Lowering the Ghost to the floor, Hera opened the ramp to the ship, which Cham accepted, boarding the freighter and proceeding to the bridge. 

He had missed his daughter.

******************************************************************************************************************

“Was your father fighting a squad of imperial Death troopers by himself?” Miara commented.

Hera nodded, a smirk on her face. That was her father all right, always doing something that was insane. 

She only hoped he would be willing to join Ahsoka’s mission. 

Behind the two, the door to the cockpit opened, and a tall orange Twi-lek strolled in. 

Hera rose from her feet to greet her father. 

“Hera, perfect timing. Thank you for the rescue.” Cham spoke, wrapping his arms around his daughter in a fatherly embrace, one that Hera relaxed into. 

“Anytime father. You ok?”

Both Syndullas pulled back from the hug before Cham replied. 

“No worse for wear daughter.”

Miara chose that moment to question something.

“Why was one of your people aiding the empire?”

Cham turned to look at the dark-skinned woman, his face one of confusion, which was understandable. He hadn’t met her before.

“Father this is Miara Larte, a fellow rebel and pilot. She came with me to find you.”

Cham nodded in acceptance, bringing his hand forward in a gesture of welcoming.

Miara shook the offered hand. 

“To answer your question, he was a turncoat who was paid by Thrawn to betray us. I have no idea why or when, and I guess I will never find out huh?” Cham recalled the events of the day, clear anger in his tone. The thought of one of his own betraying him rested heavily on his shoulders. 

“I’m sorry father.” Hera offered.

“It’s not your fault Hera. Now, why did you wish to find me?” Cham returned, his eyes looking directly into his daughter’s with compassion. 

Hera took a breath. This was going to be a hell of a discussion. 

“We’ve got a mission, and we need volunteers. It’s dangerous, but we have the chance to cut off the head of the empire in one move.”

A look of trepidation, as well as interest covered Cham’s face as he listened. 

“What sort of mission?” The elder Syndulla enquired. 

“It involves…”

Suddenly, the Ghost shuddered violently, as if hit by some sort of weapon. 

Miara was in her seat instantly, analysing to situation at hand. 

“Hera! We’ve got company!” Miara spoke with a raised voice, her head spinning in alarm to the two Twi-leks. 

Hera moved swiftly, taking her seat back at the controls of the Ghost, prepping the engines and weapons for whatever was about to come. 

“How many are there Miara?” Hera called out. Behind her, Hera felt her father slip into another chair. 

“One contact, about to pass right over us.” Miara replied, tilting her head upwards to look out of the cockpit window.

Hera stalled for a brief second. One contact? What was that about?

Looking upwards herself, Hera soon found out.

A single TIE flew over the Ghost, but its design was unlike that of any TIE previously encountered. 

In fact, it looked an awful lot like…

A chill went down Hera’s spine when she identified the ship.

Miara spoke first. “Is that what I think it is?”

Hera nodded in confirmation, before replying in a dark tone. 

“A TIE Defender!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TO BE CONTINUED!  
> Surprise! Two part chapter.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this one, it was fun to write.  
> Next time round, Hera goes up against the TIE Defender.


	10. Ghost vs. Defender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the mother of all dogfights occurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Ghost vs. Defender time. Hope you got your popcorn.

“That’s the fighter the empire was building at that facility I just attacked. You’ve seen it before?” Cham questioned in alarm from behind Hera.

Hera nodded in affirmative, her hands moving swiftly to the Ghost’s controls, engaging the engines and lifting the vessel off of the ground and into flight. 

“Thrawn’s been building them. Highly experimental fighter equipped with shields, a hyperdrive, and blasters capable of punching through capital ship hulls.” Miara informed the elder Syndulla, allowing Hera to focus on what was to come. 

She would definitely need it. 

Pulling the Ghost upwards, Hera spotted the Defender circling above her, before angling down towards the rebel craft. 

“We are being hailed?” Miara questioned suddenly, her dashboard lighting up in response. 

“Let’s hear it.” Hera replied. Perhaps whatever the imperial pilot had to say would distract him long enough for Hera to escape. 

Miara tapped a switch on the dashboard, allowing the communication to come through. 

Seconds later, a familiar voice spoke. 

“Rebel craft, this is Commander Vult Skerris of the Imperial Navy. You are once again harbouring a wanted criminal of the empire. Surrender, and your lives will be spared!”

Hera rolled her eyes before speaking. 

“Not this jackass again!”

Beside her, Miara chuckled. 

Hera had run into Skerris before, during their mission to escort Mon Mothma. Back then he had also been flying a TIE Defender. 

But this time, she didn’t have the support she had from Ezra and Gold Squadron, nor did she have a nebulae to use against the prototype fighter. 

Instead, she would have to rely solely on her skills as a pilot, and try to outmanoeuvre the Defender. 

A feat easier said than done, especially with someone like Skerris flying it. 

“If you want my father, come and take him.” Hera replied over the comm link, before disconnecting it. 

Seconds later, the Defender opened fire on the Ghost, pulling in behind it. 

Hera swerved the Ghost as best she could, evading the cannon shots. 

“Miara! Father! Get to the guns!” Hera called out to her comrades, to which the two obeyed, Cham heading to the battery on the top of the freighter, Miara heading to the nose gun. 

This was going to be a tough fight!

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Commander Vult Skerris angled his TIE Defender in behind the rebel ship known as the Ghost. This may have only been his second encounter with the ship itself, but he was familiar with its design, as well as its pilot. 

When Thrawn had contacted him to be a part of his Defender program, Skerris had done his research on those who were actively opposing him. It was nice change of pace from teaching at the Skystrike academy. 

And in his research he had come across many things. References to Jedi, Mandalorians, and even Lasats. 

But one thing stood out to him. The pilot of the Ghost itself must have been incredibly skilled to achieve what they had. 

Skerris would never admit to having an ego, but if his research was true, then Hera Syndulla was almost a good a pilot as he was. 

Almost.

He hadn’t had time to properly test his skill against her last time they had tangled. He was too busy dealing with the escort Y-wings. 

But this time, it was just him and her. 

And she wasn’t willing to surrender.

So Skerris would force her to, or destroy her in the process. 

************************************************************************************************************************

Hera would freely admit that she was having a hard time evading the continued cannon fire from the Defender. Skerris was nothing if not persistent, so Hera opted for a new tactic. 

“Hold on everyone!” Hera called out to her crew, both now stationed at their gun batteries.

Pulling the joystick upwards, Hera angled the Ghost upwards, into the clouds above Ryloth, and then back down out of the clouds, completing a complete loop.

Her hope was that Skerris would follow her and get lost in the clouds, emerging later to allow Hera to pull in behind the Defender and open fire on the prototype fighter herself. 

Seconds later, Hera’s hope became reality, as the Defender pulled down out of the clouds after pursuing the Ghost upwards, and emerged in front of the Ghost. 

Hera wasted no time. “Blast him!” She called out to her comrades. 

Both Miara and Cham complied, and a hail of laser fire erupted from both the top and bottom of the Ghost, straight towards the Defender.

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Skerris had to give Hera Syndulla credit. She had pulled off a clever little manoeuver, and had effectively fooled him. Unfortunately for her, Skerris would remember that, and anticipate further dastardly moves in the future. 

The Defender shuddered lightly, as a few cannon shots from the Ghost impacted on the shields of the prototype vessel. 

They would hold, for now. 

Quickly analysing the situation Skerris opted to copy Syndulla’s earlier tactic of weaving, avoiding the majority of the shots fired from the rebel craft. Those that did hit their target had little to no impact.

“Rebel scum!” Skerris muttered to himself, his hands reaching out to a nearby control switch.

Pushing it down, Skerris braced himself for a risky tactic, but one that allow him to regain full control of the situation. 

Moments after pushing to control down, the power for the Defender abruptly shut off, ceasing the engines.

Skerris felt the ship enter into a freefall, descending at rapid speed, faster than simply flying down. And at the vertical angle the ship was falling, there was no way for the Ghost to effectively follow him. 

Skerris counted to three, before once again pressing the switch, restoring all power to the Defender’s systems, reigniting the engines in the process. Quickly regaining control of the situation, Skerris pulled the Defender upwards, levelling off behind the Ghost. 

In the time his fighter had been falling vertically, the Ghost had sailed straight overhead. 

Skerris was once again behind the Ghost, and in full control of the situation.

*****************************************************************************************************************************

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” Hera heard Miara exclaim in anger. 

Internally, Hera felt similar, but she also felt some strange level of admiration. It had been a bold move cutting off the power to the Defender in order to get behind them, but it had paid off. 

Clearly Skerris was more skilled than Hera had anticipated. 

Once again Hera found herself swerving the Ghost from side to side, performing various barrel rolls and other eccentric moves in order to avoid the lethal shots from the Defender. 

If just one hit…

“Hera, we aren’t even making a dent in that thing! Its shields are too strong.” Cham called out from the turret atop the Ghost, firing wildly back at the Defender. The blasts seemed to merely be shrugged off by the shielding of the fighter. 

Hera had known from the second that the Defender had shown up that she would have to play this cautiously, as well as unorthodoxly. There was no out-muscling a TIE Defender.

“Just hold him off a little longer guys, I’ve got an idea!” Hera called out to her crew. 

Her plan was crazy, but it might just work. 

The Defender’s shields might be able to withstand blaster fire, but Hera doubted it would be able to withstand being rammed.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

Skerris watched as Hera Syndulla pulled out some manoeuvres with the Ghost that he had never seen a freighter pull before. 

Sure, barrel rolling and the like were easy to accomplish, in a fighter!

‘That speaks well for Syndulla’s skill’. Skerris thought to himself, pulling the trigger again, unleashing another volley of blasts at the rear of the Ghost. 

The turret on top of the freighter continued to fire back at the Defender, shots harmlessly being deflected by the shields the prototype sported. 

“You’re going to have to do better than that Captain Syndulla.” Skerris muttered, pulling the trigger again, releasing another barrage. 

This time, the shots met their mark.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The Ghost shuddered violently under the barrage of cannon fire, a direct hit being scored on the underside of the vessel as it pulled around from another roll.

Hera tightened her grip on the joystick that controlled the Ghost, even as the various consoles around the cockpit sparked, smoke rising from the interior workings.

Skerris had evidently managed to hit something critical, a theory that was confirmed moments later.

“Hera, weapons are offline!” Miara called from the nose gun, panic in her tone. 

Blocking out any further distractions, Hera proceeded with her plan. 

Out of the window, a short distance away were a series of stone columns, rising up into to sky. The natural rock formations were no exactly large, but created a nasty hazard for any unskilled pilots.

Unfortunately, Skerris was clearly a skilled pilot, one who would not crash into the columns by mistake. 

So Hera opted for a more dangerous alternative. 

The Ghost shuddered again as another shot hit the hull, collapsing the shields and damaging the ship’s exterior. 

Anger built up inside of Hera. No one damaged her ship!

It was times like these that she wished Chopper was around to run maintenance and repairs during combat. But alas, he was off with Ezra, so Hera would have to make do with what she had. 

Pushing the Ghost to its limit, Hera charged the ship directly towards the side of one of the stone columns, hoping that Skerris would predict where Hera was going.

From the readout she had before her, the imperial pilot did. 

The Defender, whilst still on her tail, altered course slightly, aiming to head around the opposite side of the column to the Ghost, flanking the rebel freighter.

Hera smirked. Skerris had played directly into her hand. 

***********************************************************************************************************************************

Vult Skerris watched from his Defender as the rebel ship known as the Ghost headed straight towards a series of tall stone columns. Clearly Hera Syndulla was hoping to trick him into crashing in such a small space. 

“Think again captain!” Skerris snarled, changing the course of his own fighter in the process. 

As the Ghost began to pass by one side of a column, Skerris headed to the opposite side, hoping to ambush the Ghost and land a direct hit on the bridge. 

Skerris watched as the Ghost disappeared from view behind the column, no doubt heading deeper into the maze of columns that lay beyond. 

Pushing the Defender forward, Skerris aimed around the other side, hands resting on the trigger ready. 

Any second now he would be back behind the Ghost, and then he would…

“WHAT ON THE?!”

Panic filled Skerris. The Ghost had not gone further into the maze of columns.

Instead, it was heading straight at him!

****************************************************************************************************************************

As the Ghost passed by the column, Hera pulled the controls round, forcing the freighter into a sharp turn.

Circling round the column, pulling a one hundred and eighty in the process, Hera found herself heading straight towards Skerris’ TIE Defender. 

Hera witnessed as Skerris tried in vain the pull the Defender upwards, out of the way of the Ghost. But it was too late, and the Ghost was approaching at a too rapid speed.

Rather than risk a head on collision, Hera angled the Ghost on its side moments before impact. 

The two vessels collided, bouncing off one another violently. 

Hera could hear the hull of the Ghost buckle somewhat due to the impact, but otherwise the freighter would be fine. 

The Defender however, was not so lucky. The impact had sheared off one of its three wings, and the prototype fighter was now spinning dramatically in the air. Hera could almost imagine Skerris desperately trying to regain control, but it would be a futile effort. 

Without all three wings, the Defender had lost its streamline structure, and the engines had clearly cut out too. 

Hera watched as the ship spun and spun, before scraping the edge of another stone pillar. The second impact sent the Defender barrelling towards the ground at high speed, before smashing into the ground in a cloud of dust and metal fragments. 

Hera didn’t know if Skerris had survived, but she didn’t stick around to find out. Instead, she angled the Ghost upwards, and flew into orbit. 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Well that was fun!” Miara’s voice was the first thing that Hera heard when she entered the common room of the Ghost. The hyperdrive still worked, despite the damage sustained in the fight with the Defender. The ship needed dire repairs, and thus Hera had set course for Yavin Four. 

“My daughter sure seems to have developed a knack for dangerous flying.” Cham voiced next as he spotted Hera enter the room, a warm smile on his face. 

Hera had explained to Cham what their mission was, and Cham had readily agreed, especially once he learned about the threat posed by the empire’s superweapon. It was clear he was thinking about the safety of Ryloth first and foremost. 

Plus he would never turn down an opportunity to fight alongside a Jedi again. 

“Dangerous flying huh? You’re more than welcome to try yourself next time father.” Hera quipped, settling into the seat next to her father, who laughed at her statement. 

“Oh no Hera, I’m far more useful on the ground than in the air.”

Hera smiled lightly, nodding in understand. 

Cham had been a revolutionary since Hera was a child, and he had many supporters, both on Ryloth and off of it. 

And whilst he would usually prefer to stay and help Ryloth, when told of the plan, both Numa and Gobi had agreed to take charge in his stead, until he returned. 

‘There’s a chance none of us will return.’ Hera thought grimly, before shaking off her doubt. 

No, they would do this. 

Settling back in her seat once again, Hera talked with her father and Miara, spending the time before reaching Yavin Four with her friends and family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope the dogfight was epic enough for you all. It was fun to write.   
> And welcome to the team Cham Syndulla.   
> Next time round we check in with Ahsoka and Kaeden, and oh boy do things get interesting.


	11. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaeden mulls over her feelings for her 'friend'.  
> And Ahsoka experiences something horrible!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm particularly proud of this chapter.  
> Word of warning though... it gets kinda dark.

Kaeden Larte sat in the bridge of her ship, monitoring the course of the cargo ship. After their failure to recruit Vos at Kashyyyk, Ahsoka had immediately set to work in attempting to recruit her other candidate, Saw Gerrerra. Kaeden didn’t know much about him, only that he had a reputation of being somewhat of an extremist, and that he had some kind of history with Ahsoka.

Kaeden had to wonder what said history was about. From the way Ahsoka described Saw, it sounded like they hadn’t exactly parted ways on the best of terms. 

Still, they needed help, and according to Ahsoka, Saw would be a valuable asset. 

If they could find him that was. 

They were currently on route to Saw’s last known location, a place called Jedha. Again, Kaeden had never heard of it, and apparently Ahsoka knew little about it either. But from what rumours they had discovered, as well as imperial reports that had been hacked into by Kallus, Saw and his loyalists were up to something on Jedha. 

So that’s where they would start looking. 

Sighing, Kaeden looked around the bridge of the ship. She was currently alone, allowing herself to think. Ahsoka had gone to get some rest before hunting for Saw. The Togruta woman clearly needed it, as she was under a lot of stress. 

If Kaeden didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that she saw bags under Ahsoka’s eyes… presuming that Togruta could get bags that was.

Kaeden had always admired Ahsoka, admittedly in more ways than one. Despite her sister’s teasing, as well as the lack of any real responses from Ahsoka, Kaeden continued to admire her to this day. 

But recently, their dynamic had changed. She and Ahsoka had gotten closer, without getting closer. Ahsoka seemed to open up to her more, both offering and accepting comfort from the human woman. 

And she had allowed Kaeden to accompany her on this mission, and even showed her how Ahsoka saw things.

That was mind boggling for Kaeden. She might not be force sensitive, but even the brief brush she had experienced thanks to Ahsoka had thrown her. 

How Ahsoka dealt with that everyday day was beyond Kaeden.

Still, that was why she was who she was. 

And Kaeden still had a role to play, despite not being a former Jedi. 

Resting her mind, Kaeden closed her eyes. Perhaps some rest for herself wouldn’t be too bad. 

A few moments of silence passed by for Kaeden, and she felt herself dozing off.

That was until, a harsh scream echoed throughout the hallways of the ship. 

“NOOOOOOOOOO!”

Kaeden was awake in an instant, clambering to her feet. 

Her head spun to the doorway out of the bridge, panic settling in her mind. 

“Ahsoka?” Kaeden whispered in worry, before sprinting off down the hall towards the room her friend was resting in.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

Once again, Ahsoka found herself in some sort of dream like vision. 

The area she was in was archaic, with tall pillars, and stone walls, stretching on via long winding corridors, with large windows overlooking a cityscape below.

In fact, it looked almost like…

“The Jedi Temple?” Ahsoka questioned to herself. No one replied to her, and she knew what had become of the temple after the rise of the empire. 

Sidious had turned it into his own private palace. 

And it had been in these halls that her old master had murdered hundreds. Murdered children. 

Despite being in a dream or vision, Ahsoka had yet to figure out which, she felt sick to her stomach. 

Looking around the open area she was in, Ahsoka suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind her. 

“You have done well my apprentice. But now is the time for your final challenge.”

Ahsoka span, her eyes immediately seeking the visage of Darth Sidious. 

However, unlike before it appeared he was not addressing her.

Before her were five shapes, five people. Four of them appeared to be clouded in darkness, their identity concealed. The force around the people assembled was full of fear, anger and despair. 

Three of the shadows were kneeling, as if defeated, not showing reverence to the Sith Lord. 

The fourth shadow stood beside Sidious as he spoke, listening to every word that came from the Sith Lord’s mouth. 

“Now my apprentice, do as I command. Choke him!” Sidious snarled to the shadow beside him. 

Ahsoka watched in horror as the shadow that stood beside Sidious moved towards those that kneeled. 

It was then that the first shadow’s identity was revealed to Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka gasped in horror as the figure was revealed to be a badly beaten and bloody Ezra Bridger. His eyes were full of despair and fear, watching the shadow that Ahsoka now assumed to be Sidious’ apprentice approach. 

The shadow lifted their hand outwards, moving into a claw shape.

Ahsoka felt the rush of the force as it tightened around Ezra’s throat. She was forced to watch as the young Jedi was lifted off the ground by an invisible force, clutching at his neck as he struggled to breath. 

Seconds later, Ahsoka heard an audible snap, and the shadow released Ezra, his body crashing to the floor. 

“No! Ezra no!” Ahsoka called, trying to rush over to his prone form. Instead, she found herself unable to move, as if something was restraining her. 

“Good my apprentice, good. Now the next one!” Sidious snarled to the shadow. 

Said shadow moved over to the next kneeling figure.

And once again, the identity of the next kneeling shadow person was revealed to her. 

“REX!” Ahsoka yelled in horror. The shadow apprentice reached onto their waist, removing a lightsaber hilt, and igniting the crimson blade, before plunging it deep into the clone captain’s chest. 

Rex didn’t make a sound as he died, his body slumping to the ground like Ezra’s, a burning hole through his chest. 

Anger built up inside of Ahsoka. Rage, hatred!

She wanted to gut the person who did this. 

“Very good my apprentice, now the last one!” Sidious again snarled, his face covered in malice and a sick sense of enjoyment.

Ahsoka watched, tears slowly coming down her face, as the shadow that was Sidious’ apprentice moved across to the last kneeling shadow.

Ahsoka watched with despair, anxiously waiting for the final reveal. 

The shadow of the kneeling person began to reveal itself. 

“No! Please!” Ahsoka whispered to herself as she recognized the last figure. 

Sidious cackled in the background.

The shadow apprentice stood unmoving, staring down at the figure of Kaeden Larte, who stared back, both in defiance, and loss.

Ahsoka watched as the shadow raised their hand, pointing towards Kaeden with all fingers. 

Seconds later, lightning erupted from the shadows fingertips, engulfing Kaeden, who fell back onto the floor screaming in agony. 

Ahsoka tried again and again to run over and help her, to save Kaeden, to take the attack for her. But it was all in vain. Ahsoka couldn’t move. Something wouldn’t let her. 

Ahsoka could only watch, powerless to help. 

She tried closing her eyes, but the sounds of Kaeden screaming in pain were still present. If anything they got louder!

“Ahsoka! Please!” Kaeden managed to yell through her screams, desperation in her voice. 

“I’m trying Kaeden, I’m trying. I can’t move!” Ahsoka yelled back. But clearly Kaeden couldn’t hear her. 

Kaeden screamed for a few more seconds, as arc after arc of force lightning coursed over her body, until she suddenly fell silent and motionless. 

“No!” Ahsoka whispered, dropping to her knees in despair at the sight of Kaeden’s lifeless body. “Kaeden.”

“Very good my apprentice. Come, stand before me.” Sidious spoke, gesturing to the shadow, the only person’s identity left unseen to Ahsoka.

Raising her head slightly, Ahsoka watched as the figure approached Sidious, before bowing before him. 

“Thank you my master.” The shadow spoke in an eerie monotone voice, one that was quite clearly feminine. 

Suddenly, the shadows faded around the mystery apprentice, and Ahsoka found herself staring at a familiar sight. 

The shadow took the form of a tall female Togruta, one with orange skin and blue and white montrals. 

She was taller than Sidious, and clearly powerful too. 

Ahsoka realised in horror that the shadow was her, or at least a darker version of herself. 

And this version of herself had just murdered three of her closest friends without batting an eyelid. 

It occurred to Ahsoka then that Kaeden had not been calling out to her, but to this corrupted version of her, trying in vain to get through to her friend. 

“You have cut off the last ties of your old life my friend. Now, we together will bring peace to the galaxy!” Sidious snarled, adding a cackle in at the end. 

Ahsoka watched in horror as the dark version of herself nodded before speaking. “Yes my master.”

Sidious smirked darkly, before speaking once more. 

“A powerful Sith you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth…”

***************************************************************************************************************************************

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Ahsoka found herself screaming as she awoke from her nightmare vision, flying forwards in her bed from her sleeping position. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and she found herself shaking violently from what she had seen. 

She didn’t know if it was some sort of prophetic vision of the future, or another of Sidious’ mind games, and she didn’t want to find out. 

This was exactly why she didn’t want anyone to come along on this mission. She couldn’t bear to watch her friends die in such a manner, much less at her own hands. 

Curling her legs up so her knees were angled upwards, Ahsoka rested her chin on said knees and sighed, trying in vain to calm herself down. 

Seconds later the door to her quarters opened, and a figure ran in, making Ahsoka jump in the process. 

“Ahsoka! Are you ok? I heard you scream!” Kaeden spoke as she mounted the bed in front of the Togruta, her hand grasping Ahsoka’s in comfort. 

Ahsoka tried to reply, but found she couldn’t. She was at a loss for words. 

What could she say? That she just saw a vision of herself killing Kaeden!

“Ahsoka you look terrible. What was it? Tell me please! I want to help.” Kaeden encouraged, moving from her position in front of Ahsoka to her side, wrapping her in a tight embrace. 

Ahsoka accepted the comfort offered, knowing that she was not in the best of shapes right now.

“It’s ok Ahsoka. You’re safe now. You’re always safe with me.” Kaeden whispered to her, the dark-skinned woman’s hand gripping Ahsoka’s tightly.

Ahsoka squeezed in acknowledgement. 

The two sat still for a few brief moments, the only sounds in the room being Ahsoka’s heavy breathing. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Kaeden couldn’t believe what she was seeing. From the looks of it, whatever Ahsoka had been experiencing in her sleep had broken her somehow. Tears ran down her normally stoic face, the look of fear, horror, and worst of all loss, present in the Togruta’s blue eyes. 

Kaeden wanted nothing more than to wrap the Togruta up warm under her bedsheets and sit by her side as she slept. If that’s what it took…

It occurred to Kaeden that Ahsoka was also shaking quite badly. She wasn’t cold, that was clear. And the sheer amount of sweat that was emanating from Ahsoka’s skin made her shine somewhat. 

Most people would think it was disgusting, but in that moment Kaeden couldn’t care less.

Right now, Ahsoka’s wellbeing was more important. 

The two continued to sit in silence for an unspecified amount of time, neither were particularly paying attention.

Then Ahsoka spoke, quieter than Kaeden had ever heard her speak before. 

“I’m sorry.”

Kaeden pulled the Togruta closer to her, offering all of the comfort she could. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for Ahsoka.” Kaeden whispered to her. 

Ahsoka sniffled once, trying in vain to will the tears away. 

“I had a vision, about me, working for the emperor, becoming his new apprentice. He made me kill you, and Ezra and Rex. It was horrible.”

Kaeden listened in shock at Ahsoka recounting. She hadn’t expected Ahsoka to tell her what had happened. Kaeden was more than happy with just being here to comfort her. 

But from the sounds of what Ahsoka had seen in her vision, Kaeden could tell that anyone would be broken by it. 

Kaeden knew she would, and right now Ahsoka needed reassurance.

“I’m right here Ahsoka. I’m all right. So are Ezra and Rex. You didn’t hurt anyone.”

Ahsoka turned her head upwards, locking eyes with Kaeden. 

“I know, but it felt so real. I’m scared Kaeden. What if I just saw the future? What if that is who I become?”

Kaeden felt her mouth fall open in surprise. How could Ahsoka think she would ever become something so deplorable? She was Ahsoka Tano!

“Never! You would never do that Ahsoka. You are a good person.”

Ahsoka seemed to be listening to what Kaeden had to say, he eyes studying Kaeden’s for the truth.

Then Ahsoka lowered her head, breaking off the eye contact and whispered under her breath, only just loud enough for Kaeden to hear. “So was Anakin.”

Kaeden felt her heart drop. She didn’t know the full details about what had happened to Ahsoka’s old master, only that he had been killed by Ahsoka herself. 

But it clearly brought despair upon the Togruta still. 

Reaching her hand out, Kaeden gently pulled Ahsoka’s face back up to eye level. 

“You are a good person Ahsoka Tano!” Kaeden spoke forcefully. 

Ahsoka’s eyes darted from side to side, once again searching Kaeden’s for the truth. 

“How… how do you know that?” Ahsoka whispered back. 

Kaeden allowed a small smile to come to her face, one that she hoped offered comfort and love.

“Because I just do Ahsoka.”

It was a cheesy answer, Kaeden knew that, but right now Ahsoka needed cheering up. And if that involved Kaeden making stupid comments and cheesy sayings, then so be it. 

“Besides, it was just a dream Ahs…”

Kaeden didn’t get the chance to finish what she was saying, because to her surprise, Ahsoka had pushed her lips upon Kaeden’s. 

Kaeden reeled back in shock, but did not break the kiss.

Surprise! Shock! Concern! All flooded through Kaeden’s body as Ahsoka kissed her. This was not like the Togruta at all. 

But Kaeden found that she didn’t care. She had always harboured feelings for Ahsoka, but had never acted on it, for fear of both rejection, as well as common sense. Surely someone like Ahsoka was well out of her league?

But right now, in that moment, Kaeden chose to seize the opportunity granted before her. 

Reaching her hand up to cup Ahsoka’s cheek, Kaeden kissed her back. 

The two women’s lips stayed locked for a few brief moments, both lost in their own thoughts.

Inside herself, Kaeden was giddy. She would never admit it aloud, but she had dreamt of this moment, fantasised about it even. 

And now it was happening!

That was until Ahsoka pulled away abruptly, shame in her eyes.

Kaeden resisted the urge to sigh at the loss of the contact. Right now Ahsoka’s wellbeing was a priority.

“Are you ok?” Kaeden asked the Togruta, pulling her hand back from Ahsoka’s cheek to rest on her arm. 

Trembling slightly, Ahsoka pulled out of Kaeden’s embrace, standing suddenly and moving towards the door. 

“I’m sorry Kaeden. I shouldn’t have done that. Get some rest, I’ll go keep watch on the bridge.” Ahsoka spoke softly, with what sounded like remorse. 

“It’s ok Ahsoka. I don’t mind.” Kaeden stood to follow the Togruta, but the woman stopped her in her tracks, holding out her hand. 

“Don’t. Please. I just need to be alone.”

Kaeden could say nothing more, she could only watch as Ahsoka left the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

This time, Kaeden allowed herself to sigh, before sitting down on the bed, placing her head in her hands, and mulling over recent events. 

‘What the Kriff just happened?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... that was depressing to write.   
> So to quell any fears, yes it was a vision/dream. Ezra, Rex and Kaeden are still alive, so no worries there.   
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Originally it was supposed to be a short one, but that spiraled out of control with the dream/vision.  
> Next time round we shift back over to Ezra and Chopper, as they attempt to acquire some explosives for the mission.


	12. A Pirate and a Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ezra encounters an old friend.  
> As well as an old enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best chapter in my opinion, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Felucia was for all accounts and measures, an inhospitable place. Sure, you could breathe the atmosphere, and sure, life existed on the planet. 

But from where Ezra Bridger was standing, it seemed that almost everything on the planet was out to kill him. 

And the temperature didn’t help either. 

Faced with either Felucia or Malachor, Ezra was certain he’d rather spend another day in the Sith temple than here. 

However, according to Kanan, with intel passed to him from Kallus, there were some high grade explosives on the planet. Specifically hidden within an old abandoned Republic base from the Clone Wars. 

So Ezra, accompanied by Ryder and Chopper, had set course for the supposed location of this base, deep within the swamp like lands of Felucia. 

And by luck they had found it. The base was out of the way, and over the years it appeared to have become overgrown with plants and other life. 

Clearly, the power grid would no longer work, and without access to any form of network, Ezra and Ryder would have to search for the explosives manually. 

But right now that wasn’t what concerned Ezra most of all.

What did was the presence of a run-down cargo freighter, one that had landed next to the location of the hidden base as well. 

Clearly, it belonged to smugglers, or pirates, looking for salvage. 

Ezra could only hope that they could get the explosives before whoever else was here did. 

“Chopper, stay outside and guard the shuttle. Let us know if anything serious happens, or if you see anyone leave.” Ezra called out to the droid as he approached the entrance to the old base, Ryder in tow. 

The droid beeped in affirmative, before heading back to the stolen imperial shuttle. 

Turning his attention to the entrance before him, Ezra noted that something had evidently torn the door apart. 

“Are those scratch marks?” Ryder inquired beside the young Jedi, moving forward to inspect them. 

Ezra chose not to reply, instead he reached deep into the force, trying to sense something. He had always had a natural affinity with the force and other creatures, being able to control the Purrgil, as well as Loth-Cats and Fyrnocks to his advantage. 

He hoped that whatever was inside would also be easily tamed. 

“Well we didn’t come all this way for nothing did we. Let’s go.” Ezra spoke, taking the lead into the abandoned base, igniting his saber to light the way. Ryder followed behind cautiously, blaster at the ready, whether it be for pirates, smugglers, or monsters.

Turning a corner, Ezra noticed more scratch marks on various walls, as well on the floor. 

Trepidation filled his senses. It was as if he was walking directly into a lair belonging to some monster. 

But still he and Ryder pushed on, searching for the explosives. 

The two had agreed before entering that logically, the explosives would be kept in a large side room somewhere, to keep them from interacting with any dangerous elements that may set them off prematurely. 

And from what Ezra had been told by Kanan, these explosives were high grade Mandalorian, and Ezra had seen first-hand what Mandalorian explosives could do. They would certainly need them for the mission. 

Assuming him and Ryder could retrieve them that was. Kanan was looking into acquiring his own supply of explosives, with the help of Sabine somewhere else. 

So even if Ezra failed, it wasn’t the end of the world. 

Suddenly, breaking Ezra out of his internal thoughts, a sound could be heard, like something scuttling across the floor. 

It was coming from behind him.

No wait! In front of him.

Whatever it was, it was coming for him from all directions. 

The sounds increased suddenly, many more scuttling sounds could be heard, as well as what sounded like high pitch screeching, animalistic in nature. 

The hairs on the back of Ezra’s neck stood up rigid, a sense of dread filling him.

“What the kriff is that?!” Ryder spoke from beside him, his body tense and his blaster ready. 

“No idea, but I get the feeling we are about to find out.” Ezra reply, as the sounds got closer. 

Seconds later, they did. 

Scurrying round the corner behind them at an alarming speed was some kind of insect, roughly the same height as Ezra. From his initial glimpse, it had six long bared legs that it walked on, as well as a long neck with a sizeable head. Its face had small beady eyes, as well as sharp incisor style teeth, clearly visible. 

If Ezra was honest with himself, it somewhat resembled a spider, just not the spiders that had been on Atollon. 

The creature’s eyes locked onto Ezra and Ryder, and then it released another screech, before charging at the two rebels.

“Run!” Ezra called, equipping his blaster and firing a few shots at the approaching monster, whilst simultaneously fleeing down another corridor. 

Ryder did the same, taking the lead this time. 

Periodically glancing back to see where the monster was in comparison to him, Ezra noticed more figures moving behind it with similar speed. 

“There’s more than one!” Ezra called in alarm, forgetting about trying to fight them off and breaking into a sprint. His blaster was not really having the intended effect anyway, and he didn’t want to get close enough to use his saber, not with sharp clawed feet like the ones the monster possessed. 

Turning another corner, Ryder and Ezra found themselves running down a long corridor, the clawed monsters right behind them. 

“What are we going to do?” Ryder called out in panic, firing a few blasts backwards at the monsters, who seemed to only grow more agitated by them.

Ezra honestly didn’t know. It would take a miracle for them to get out of this one unscathed. 

Why the hell did Kanan send him here again?!

As the two rebels reached the halfway point of the corridor, the unexpected happened. The door straight ahead of them, the one that had been closed and most likely locked due to lack of power, opened suddenly. 

In the dark before them, Ezra could make out a single figure, armed with a blaster. Who this figure was was a mystery due to the lack of light. 

Then the figure spoke. 

“Over here my friends. Get inside quickly!”

The figure was clearly male, and his accented voice suggested that he was not from the core worlds, but rather somewhere in the outer rim. 

It was most likely the owner of the cargo freighter out front. 

But right now, Ezra couldn’t care less about who this person was, so he headed for the doorway with Ryder. 

Passing through the threshold, Ezra and Ryder dived inside, narrowly avoiding the monsters behind them.

The mysterious figure moved fast once the rebels were inside, pressing a button on a control panel that somehow still had power, and closed the door. 

The door snapped shut with a clang, sealing the creatures on the outside. 

From the sounds they were making, they were clearly not happy about losing a potential meal. Bangs sounded on the door, of which Ezra could only assume was the creatures trying to claw their way inside. 

‘That would explain the claw marks.’ Ezra thought to himself, as he rose to his feet. 

“Thanks for your help stranger.” Ezra spoke politely. After all, this person had just saved his and Ryder’s life.

“Stranger? Why Ezra my friend, have we grown so far apart?” The figure spoke with enthusiasm. 

Ezra did a double take. He had met this person before. 

Bringing his lightsaber upwards, both in defence, and to illuminate the room, Ezra spoke. 

“Do I know you?”

The mysterious figure laughed bombastically, before stepping forward into the green glow of Ezra’s saber. 

“Why of course you do Ezra. It’s me, your long-time friend and partner, Hondo!”

*********************************************************************************************************************************

Chopper was fed up. 

Chopper was bored. 

Chopper was downright angry. 

Why did they always have to go on suicide missions? It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help his friends, no, he would always be there for them.   
But for once, just once, couldn’t they go somewhere non-threatening, like a beach, or an amusement park. 

Instead, here he was, an astromech droid older than most, waiting in an imperial shuttle on Felucia of all places. 

Suffice to say, his life sucked. 

At the moment that was. Despite his outwardly hostile attitude to many, Chopper did care. And he was worried about not accompanying Ezra into the abandoned base. 

Ryder was good. But in his opinion, Chopper was better. 

And yes, Chopper would freely admit to having an ego. 

So he waited, watching for any movement, both from outside parties, and for his friends. 

Roughly ten minutes after Ezra and Ryder had entered the abandoned base, things got interesting for Chopper. 

The scanners on the stolen Imperial shuttle detected a single ship, approaching at high speeds towards them. 

The design was quite clearly that of a TIE, and rather than open fire as Chopper was expecting it too, it landed beside the shuttle. 

Remaining as still as possible, Chopper hoped to avoid detection. 

Rising a look, Chopper elevated himself to see out the window of the cockpit. 

The TIE fighter, one of the advanced model, had landed, and a single figure had exited and was heading into the base. 

From a distance, Chopper could not make the figure out easily, only that it was an imperial of some kind. But what sort of imperial travelled alone?

Zooming in with his eye scope, Chopper got a better look at the figure, before they disappeared into the darkness of the base. 

And unfortunately for Chopper, he recognized the figure immediately. 

“Oh no.” The droid buzzed to himself. 

Chopper had been bored. 

But now… things were about to get interesting… and dangerous. 

Chopper almost wished he was still bored.

*************************************************************************************************************

“Hondo? What are you doing here?” Ezra spoke with surprise at seeing the old Weequay pirate. Of all the people to be raiding an old abandoned republic base…

‘Oh wait, this makes perfect sense.’ Ezra changed his train of thought mid-way. Of course Hondo would be searching for some way to make some credits. He was a pirate after all.   
The question was, did he know what was in this base? 

And would he allow Ezra to have them?

“Ezra my friend, there is loot to salvage here. But upon arrival, I was attacked by that horde of monsters outside.” Hondo replied in his usual jovial tone. 

Not many people liked Hondo, and for good reason. Ezra could see that now, but inside he still felt some compassion for the old pirate. 

In a way, he was a role model to Ezra. Well, a role model on how not to be a role model at least. 

Still, Hondo had come through in the past for him, even if it was for selfish means.

“What are those things?” Ryder joined the discussion, gesturing to the door they had entered through. 

Outside, the monsters continued to try to claw their way in.

“Why those are Acklay. Juvenile ones to be precise. The adults grow to be the size of tanks.” Hondo informed, far too enthusiastically for Ezra’s taste. 

“Those are the small ones!” Ryder clearly had to same interpretation of what Hondo had said, as his voice rose with both panic and anger. 

“Yes, yes. They are the children. Which probably means the mother is nearby.” Hondo continued, his voice still full of joy, as if he was enjoying this near death experience. 

Ezra sighed, before turning his attention to the situation at hand. 

“So, how do we get out of here?”

Hondo’s mood shifted suddenly, as if he was trying to conceal something. 

If anything, Ezra would say he looked guilty. 

“Ah, now, you see… we don’t.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ryder replied to the Weequay pirate, his facial expression changing to one of complete disbelief. 

“No my friend I am not. We are trapped in here until those little baby Acklay get bored.” Hondo responded, joy coming back into his tone. 

“Great, just great!” Ryder replied, moving away from Hondo and sitting down dejectedly on a crate, one Hondo had clearly repurposed as a chair. 

Silence filled the room for a moment, the only sounds emanating from the Acklay outside of the doorway, still trying to get in to get to the food. 

After a few more moments filled with only the screeching of the Acklay outside, Hondo spoke up. 

“So why are you here my friend? Some sort of secret rebel mission?”

Ezra debated whether or not to tell Hondo the truth. Part of him wanted to. Hondo could provide the supplies needed for Ahsoka’s mission. 

On the other hand, Hondo could also prove detrimental at the best of times. 

So he settled for a half truth. 

“Something like that. There’s some high grade explosives here that we need for a secret mission.”

Hondo’s eyes bulged at the mention of explosives, as if he had stumbled across some great treasure. 

“A secret mission? My my Ezra, you always seem to find yourself in trouble huh? Whos idea was it this time? Syndulla? Jarrus?”

Ezra knew that he had to keep it as secret as possible. If he mentioned that Ahsoka was the one leading the mission, then Hondo could very well betray them and give information to the empire in exchange for credits or other supplies. 

After all, it wouldn’t be the first time. 

“You wouldn’t know them, but it’s dangerous Hondo. We need the explosives to succeed.”

Hondo nodded in understanding. Despite being a criminal, Hondo had no love for the empire. 

But that didn’t mean he had any for the rebellion either. 

Suddenly, a new sound filled Ezra’s ears, drawing his attention to the doorway. 

The Acklay were still screeching, but now it sounded like they were in pain, being attacked by something. 

Within the sounds, Ezra could pick up the distinctive hum of a lightsaber, as it was swung around, no doubt dismembering the Acklay.

Moments later, the Acklay stopped screeching.

Ezra braced himself as he heard footsteps of a figure heading towards the doorway. Behind him, Ryder had stood with his blaster ready.

Hondo however…

“Hooray, we are saved. Some kind soul has come all this way out to help an old pirate and his partner.”

Ezra rolled his eyes in disdain at Hondo’s obliviousness. The force was calling a warning to Ezra. Whoever was on the other side of that door was not friendly. 

Sure enough, seconds later, the door slide open dramatically, as if pulled with the force. 

Ezra took a step back in alarm, his lightsaber out by his side, ready to clash as the figure entered, bathed in the red glow of his own saber. 

“Well well, Ezra Bridger, we meet again.” The Eighth Brother spoke, menace in his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look at that... another two part chapter. :)  
> And I know Acklay are not native to Felucia, but I wanted some sort of big monster for this chapter, so I used them.   
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter.   
> Next time round, its the battle to secure the explosives and get out alive.


	13. The Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ezra tries to get his hands on the explosives.  
> All the while dealing with an Inquisitor, a swarm of Acklay...  
> And Hondo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of these chapters. I hope you enjoy.

Ezra barely brought his blade up in time, green clashing with red, as the Inquisitor forced him back into the room. 

Jumping backwards and out of reach of the Eighth Brother’s saber, Ezra regained his composure. The sudden appearance of the Inquisitor was a surprise to the young Jedi. Ahsoka had mentioned that she suspected that he was back working with the empire, and whilst his appearance did not confirm it, Ezra was sure he would find out shortly. 

Behind him, both Ryder and Hondo raised their blasters, aiming at the Inquisitor, but didn’t fire. They had both seen what happened to those who shot at lightsaber wielding opponents before.

“You feel much stronger in the force than when we last met padawan. Tell me, have you recovered from Malachor yet? You suffered a great blow that day, or at least your master did.” The Terrelian snarled at Ezra, advancing slowly, lightsaber ready. 

“Yeah well at least my master didn’t betray me that day. ‘Outlived your usefulness’ wasn’t it?” Ezra quipped back. If this Inquisitor expected harsh taunts to affect him, then he needed to think again. 

“Lord Vader paid the price for his arrogance. Now my true master seeks a much more powerful apprentice!” The Eighth Brother swung his saber out, clashing and trading blows with Ezra at speed. 

It was true, Ezra had improved since Malachor. Endless hours training with Kanan, as well as Ahsoka, and even once with Maul, had improved his skill and technique. Ezra could now more than hold his own against most opponents. 

But the Inquisitor had improved too. His style was no longer reckless and bombastic, but more reserved and cautious, seeking to find gaps in his opponents defence to exploit.

“So what? You think he’s gonna make you his new apprentice. What’s your name gonna be huh? Darth Brother? Darth Eighth?” Ezra replied, sarcasm evident in his tone and he attempted to land a blow on the Inquisitor, one that was met by the Terrelian’s own saber. 

The two clashed blades again, locking them together and pushing against one another. 

They found themselves face to face, both straining to push against the other. Ezra couldn’t see the Inquisitor’s face, as it was obstructed by the helmet, but beneath it Ezra was almost certain the Eighth Brother was smirking.

“Oh no my boy. Lord Sidious does not desire my services as his apprentice, but rather your Togrutan friend.”

Rage built up inside Ezra. The young Jedi wanted nothing more than to protect his friends from harm. That was why he had begun to train in the first place with Kanan. To protect those who could not defend themselves. 

And while Ahsoka was more than capable of defending herself, Ezra still felt a desire to protect her. 

After all, she was his friend. 

“You Sith scum will never have Ahsoka!” Ezra spat, breaking out of saber lock and unleashing a force push at the Inquisitor, who stumbled backwards from the push, before regaining his balance. 

Behind him, Ezra felt Hondo approach. 

“Ezra, why did you not tell me you were friends with Ahsoka Tano? We go way back.” The Weequay spoke, enthusiasm once again evident in his voice, despite the peril of the situation. 

“Is now really the time for this Hondo?” Ezra called back, moving to deflect another blow from the Eighth Brother, who had recovered. 

“No, I suppose not.” Hondo responded, sounding somewhat downtrodden. 

Pushing that thought out of his mind, Ezra traded another series of blows with the Inquisitor, before looping around him and heading out the door, the Inquisitor on his tail.

Clearly the Eighth Brother had no real interest in Ezra’s companions, which would work to Ezra’s favour. 

Vaulting over the piles of dead Acklay that the Inquisitor had evidently bisected, Ezra turned in time to catch the Eighth Brother’s blade in another lock, the two duellists once again pushing against one another. 

From behind the Inquisitor, Ezra spotted Ryder and Hondo exit the room they had been stuck in, turning down another corridor that Ezra had not previously spotted, and disappearing from sight. 

Now all Ezra had to do was lose the Inquisitor. 

Clash after clash between lightsabers occurred, as the Eighth Brother tried to land a blow on Ezra. 

Likewise, Ezra desperately tried to either disarm or disorientate the Inquisitor long enough for him to make his escape. 

The two traded another series of blows, before a familiar screeching could be heard behind Ezra. 

Turning his head briefly behind him, Ezra witnesses another group of Acklay come charging at the two, hoping for a meal. 

‘Perfect!’ Ezra thought. 

Reaching into the force, Ezra released another force push at the Inquisitor, knocking him over this time, before breaking off into a sprint down the same corridor that Ryder and Hondo had gone down. 

The Eighth Brother regained his senses quickly, jumping up into a standing position before crouching into a combat position. Before him, the young Jedi was gone, fled no doubt. Now he had to deal with the swarm of Acklay approaching him. 

“Blasted bugs!” The Inquisitor snarled, engaging the rotation feature on his sabre, and charging the beasts with fury.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Ezra caught up to his compatriots relatively quickly, and found them waiting by a doorway, trying to get it open. 

“I’m telling you the explosives will be inside. It’s a storage facility after all.”

“And I’m telling you we should wait for Ezra. The kid might need some help.”

“He’s a Jedi, they are… semi-immortal in my experience.”

Ezra shook his head at the sight of Ryder and Hondo arguing over his fate. And part of him wished that Hondo’s words were true. 

But Jedi could be killed. That was a matter of fact.

Hondo noticed him approaching first, reaching out his arms in joy, as if he was going to hug the young Jedi. 

“Ezra, my friend. I knew you would be ok. I wanted to come help you, but your friend here said we should look for your explosives. What happened to the crazy guy?”

Ezra nearly laughed at the mortified look on Ryder’s face as he was accused of abandoning Ezra. 

Ezra knew the truth, and to be fair he didn’t mind. They had to complete the mission, no matter the cost. Hera had taught him that. 

“He’s keeping the Acklay busy, so I’m sure he will be back shortly. Ryder, can you get the door open?” Ezra spoke, approaching the two as they tried to pry it open with brute strength. 

“No good Ezra, it’s jammed. And without power…”

Ezra nodded in understanding, before gesturing for both Hondo and Ryder to move away from the door. 

As they did, Ezra plunged his lightsaber into the door, slowly cutting a whole large enough to climb through. 

As he worked, Hondo once again began speaking. 

“Oh how I wish I had a lightsaber. Did I ever tell you about the time I tried to steal some kyber crystals? Ahsoka was there too. We had such fun that day.” The older pirate boomed with laughter at the end of his speech. It seemed like the pirate had certainly been around. 

Suddenly, the Weequay’s demeanour changed, and he spoke with a solemn tone. 

“How is Ahsoka doing? Is she ok? I was so worried that all of my Jedi friends had died.”

It was surprising to see Hondo in such a way. Ezra was unsure if this caring attitude was genuine or not, but as Hondo had once freely admitted, he was an old sympathiser of the Jedi. 

“She’s doing ok Hondo. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

Hondo seemed to shrink in on himself suddenly, surprising Ezra further. The young Jed altered the direction of his saber, shifting from vertical to horizontal, as he continued to cut the door open. 

“No, no I don’t think she would Ezra. We did not part on the best of terms. But tell me, is she still short? She was tiny during the Clone Wars.”

The joy had returned to Hondo’s speech, as he recounted another memory, one that was clearly fond to him, and laced with humour. 

Ezra tried to picture Ahsoka as short, and found that it was somewhat of a humorous image to him. She had always been something of a giant, even if she was the same height as Kanan and Maul. He supposed it was because of her montrals, they tended to add some perception of height. 

“No she’s pretty tall now. About as tall as Kanan.” Ezra replied, shifting his blade again.

“Oh my, she’s all grown up. I’m so proud!” Hondo said, a touch of sadness in his tone.

CLANG!

Ezra retracted his blade as the door fell down before him, a section of it burned out. They now had access to whatever was inside. 

Stepping through first, Ezra used his saber to illuminate the room. 

It was large and spacious, big enough to store plenty of supplies and munitions. 

Ryder and Hondo stepped through behind him, using the torches they had equipped to their blasters to light the room. 

“Ezra… look!” Ryder spoke with joy, indicating to a corner of the room. 

Looking over to where Ryder was pointing, Ezra saw a stockpile of proton warheads. Not what they needed for the mission, but useful nonetheless. 

“Ah ha, Ezra I have found your explosives!” Hondo called out next gesturing to another corner, where a pair of crates sat. 

Approaching the crates, Ezra lifted the lids to come face to face with a ton of detonators. They were clearly high grade explosives, like the style Sabine made. If Ezra could acquire them, he was certain Sabine could turn them into something far more volatile. 

“We’ve got them. Grab a crate Ryder. Hondo, don’t touch anything. They are likely to explode if you do.” Ezra commanded his comrades, adding a hint of humour to the discussion, once that Hondo clearly appreciated as he feigned shock at Ezra’s statement. 

However, as he and Ryder began to shift the crates towards the exit, a deep rumbling sound reverberated around the room. 

The presence of the force suddenly altered for Ezra, screaming danger to him. 

He turned in time to see something huge moving in the shadows.

Ryder and Hondo had done the same, lifting their torches to illuminate the movement.

What Ezra saw almost made him scream in horror. 

An Acklay, much larger than the previous ones, and far more intimidating, had been in the room with them the entire time. The huge beast towered over the three, its eyes locking onto them, and snarling, bearing its razor sharp teeth. 

“Oh! Hello Mrs Acklay. We’ll just be leaving if that’s ok?” Hondo quipped, fear evident in his voice, as he slowly backed towards the doorway. 

The Acklay screeching aloud, watching, waiting to strike. 

Ezra decided it was time to leave. This Acklay had clearly made the room her nest or some kind. 

Backing towards the door with his companions, careful not to make any sudden movements in case he enraged the beast, Ezra spoke. 

“Yeah, good idea Hondo. Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh you’re not going anywhere Jedi!” Another voice responded. 

Ezra span in shock, finding the Eighth Brother standing in the doorway, saber ignited.

Then all hell broke loose. 

The sudden movement performed by Ezra, as well as the appearance of the Inquisitor, enraged the Acklay. It roared in anger, and charged, its long neck bending down trying to snap Ezra up for food. 

Evading to the side, Ezra narrowly avoided the Acklay, only managing to bring his saber up in time to deflect an attack from the Eighth Brother, who was once again upon him. 

The following minutes were pure chaos. Ezra and the Eighth Brother traded a series of blows, illuminating the room in green and white. 

Simultaneously, the Acklay had shifted its attention to Ryder and Hondo, swiping at them its clawed feet whilst the two evaded in all directions. 

The two lightsaber duellists continued to fight, evading around one another until Ezra’s back was against the doorway. He could turn and flee now, but that would mean leaving his friends behind. 

However, behind the Inquisitor, he spotted his opportunity. 

The proton warheads!

Once again, Ezra reached into the force and pushed. This time however, the Eighth Brother anticapted the move, and jumped, avoiding the push altogether. 

But knocking back the Inquisitor was not Ezra’s intention. Instead, the push had been aimed at the Acklay, who in response to the force push, roared in anger and charged the two forces users. 

The Eighth Brother didn’t manage to evade the next strike, as a swipe from one of the Acklay’s claws sent him barrelling into a nearby wall. 

Reaching deeper into the force, Ezra pushed again at the Acklay, knocking it backwards into a corner, the same corner with the proton warheads. 

“Ryder, Hondo, let’s go!” Ezra called out to his friends, who had regaining their composure and broke into a run, grabbing the crates of detonators as they passed by. 

When his two companions had escaped the room, Ezra drew his blaster and aimed at the warheads. 

The Inquisitor meanwhile had regained his footing, just in time to see the young Jedi draw, and fire his blaster at the warheads. 

“NO!” The Eighth Brother yelled, diving to the floor to protect himself. 

Ezra turned and ran also, hoping to escape the blast radius. 

The shot fired struck the warhead, causing it to destabilise and detonate. Heat consumed the room as the explosives blew, shaking the base as whole and incinerating the Acklay in the process.

The already unstable base structure partly collapsed, the room the explosives had been in caved in dramatically. 

Ezra had barely made it down the corridor when the explosion occurred, and was knocked off of his feet. He felt a rush of heat pass over him, but no real injury occurred. 

Rather than wait around and view the results of his actions, Ezra got back to his feet and ran, retracing his footsteps to the surface. 

**********************************************************************************************************************

Stepping back outside into the sunlight on Felucia, Ezra felt a sense of relief. 

Acquired the explosives had been harder than he had anticipated. The Acklay had proven to be an unexpected variable, but one they could have hidden from. All it would have taken was a bit of patience. 

But the appearance of the Inquisitor had complicated things, effectively ruining any chance of stealth they had.

Still, at least he hadn’t escaped yet. Ezra wasn’t sure what had happened to the Eighth Brother, only that he was in the room when the proton warheads had detonated. For all he knew the Terrelian was dead.

Still, he couldn’t dwell on that right now, he had other business to attend to, and that started with the orange astromech rolling towards his, beeping profanities at him. 

“Chopper! What happened to keeping an eye out for us?” Ezra enquired, agitation present in his tone. 

The astromech released a series of beeps, ones that sounded suspiciously like laughter to Ezra. 

“What do you mean the transmitter on the shuttle isn’t working? It was working fine earlier!”

Chopper again responded harshly, stating something about the Inquisitor being responsible. Ezra couldn’t tell if the droid was telling the truth or not, and he found he didn’t care.

“Well we can’t use the shuttle anymore. Best guess is that that’s how the Inquisitor tracked us.” Ryder approached from the side, speaking with concern. 

It hadn’t crossed Ezra’s mind how the Eighth Brother had tracked them, but Ryder’s idea made sense. 

That meant that they now had to find another ship to use.

“Ezra my friend, there is room on my ship for you and your friends!” Hondo then approached, as joyful as ever, a bright smile on his face. 

Ezra couldn’t help the small smile that came to his face. Despite everything, he enjoyed the company of the old Weequay pirate. 

“I appreciate the offer Hondo, but we have a mission to complete. We can find our own way.” Ezra replied, hoping he hadn’t offended the pirate. 

“What?! But my friend I want to help you on this mission.”

Both Ezra and Ryder’s eyes bulged at Hondo’s statement.

Had he seriously just offered to join the mission… free of charge?

“Why would a pirate want to help the rebellion, much less join a suicide mission against them?” Ryder recovered first, confusion in his voice. 

Ezra watched Hondo’s face as he mulled over Ryder’s question. His eyes seemed downtrodden, as if he was upset by something. 

If anything, Hondo looked guilty.

“Because I had done lots of horrible things in my life. Perhaps it’s time to do something good for once.”

Ezra was honestly shocked at Hondo’s statement. The old pirate had practically admitted he had a conscience. 

Ezra analysed the Weequay. He had lost so much it his life, even for a pirate. He had seen many things, mostly terrible. Hell he had enacted some of them himself. 

And now he seemed to want to atone, at least for a little bit. 

And his assistance would be welcome. 

“Besides, if we survive I will become a celebrity. ‘The Pirate who killed the Emperor!’ Think of the riches I could acquire.” Hondo suddenly regained his enthusiasm, acting more like the Hondo Ezra was used to. 

“And if we all die?” Ezra couldn’t help but add. 

“Then we can all meet up at the bar in the sky for drinks! You’re buying!”

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

The Eighth Brother pushed the rubble off of himself. He had been caught in the explosion, given the singed state of his armour. But aside from that, he seemed to be in ok condition. Nothing was broken, which was a relief. 

And the huge Acklay was dead, so he had nothing to worry about regarding that thing. 

Standing from his position where he had been crushed by the collapsing roof, The Eighth Brother analysed his surroundings, pulling his lightsaber to him where it had fallen. 

How the hell was he going to explain this to Sidious? Once again he had been bested, by a padawan no less!

Still, that meant that the padawan was still alive, and could further undermine the empire. 

The Eighth Brother chuckled to himself.

Soon both sides would destroy one another, and he would be left to pick up the pieces, and install himself as the leader of the empire. 

Soon, he would have his revenge!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the team Hondo Ohnaka. Lets hope your pirating skills prove most useful.  
> I hope I got his character down right. He's pretty hard to write for.   
> Anyway, next time round we hit another two part chapter focusing on the imperials, and it gets rather plot heavy.


	14. The Weapon at the Heart of the Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn discovers part of the truth about Krennic's battlestation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, plot heavy chapter this time round. Enjoy.

Once again, Grand Admiral Thrawn had hit a dead end with his research. Despite both his and Pryce’s concerns, as well as Yularen’s, they could not uncover any new vital information as to what the station was. 

Clearly, that meant that in order to discover anything new, Thrawn would have to speak to someone directly involved in the project. 

Tarkin was a definite no, that much was certain. Thrawn didn’t even consider a reason as to why not to ask him. It was Tarkin after all.

If he asked the Emperor, that would rise suspicion. Thrawn knew the emperor was relentless and ruthless, so he’d rather not temper his rage.

The Eighth Brother was still away on assignment, so Thrawn could not rely on his services as a force user to detect anything new. 

So that left Thrawn with Krennic. The man seemed overly eager to please everyone, almost as if he was sucking up to his superiors, or boasting about his project. 

‘That could work.’ Thrawn had thought. If he could somehow convince Krennic to boast about his success to Thrawn, then the Chiss could discover the truth behind this station.

So he had set off in search of the Director, who was apparently awaiting yet another new arrival in the hanger bay. 

Stepping into the hanger bay, Thrawn spotted the white cloak of Krennic in the middle of the room, clearly waiting for a shuttle. 

Sighing, Thrawn adopted his best, ‘I am interested’ look, and walked towards Krennic.

The Director clearly heard him approaching, as the human turned and locked eyes with the Chiss.

“Ah Grand Admiral, how good to see you. I trust you are enjoying your stay?”

Thrawn knew he had to be polite, so he smiled lightly before replying. 

“Indeed Director, I am comfortable. But I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about your project, for my own interest of course.”

This was the make or break moment. If Krennic thought that Thrawn was up to something it would all be over. 

“Of course Grand Admiral. Frankly I find it strange that you have not been informed about this project before.” Krennic replied, leaning in slightly towards Thrawn was if discussing some secret. 

Thrawn was honestly surprised. Either Krennic really was that full of himself, or he too suspected something. 

“This station is far too large to simply be a base of operations Director. What is the true purpose behind it?” Thrawn enquired, risking a lot in the process. 

The Director smiled in response. “Well Grand Admiral, once my guest arrives you are more than welcome to accompany us. I require his assistance to complete a vital component that was just recently installed.”

As the Director finished his response, an imperial shuttle appeared before them, landing gently on the deck of the hanger bay. 

Thrawn presumed that his was Krennic’s friend, whoever that was. 

The ramp to the shuttle lowered, and a single human male came walking down the ramp.

He was tall, and dressed in a grey/white imperial uniform, one that clearly identified him as some sort of scientist. His hair was scraggy in a way, clearly not well looked after.

But it was his eyes that Thrawn noticed the most. They were a deep brown, and within them Thrawn saw something, an emotion. 

As if he really didn’t want to be here, but had no choice. 

In a weird way, Thrawn pitied the man. 

Krennic stepped forward as the human approached. 

“Galen my friend! Welcome aboard. I trust you flight from Eadu was uneventful?”

The man who Krennic had referred to as Galen nodded in response. Thrawn noted that he did not lighten up as Thrawn had expected. Hadn’t Krennic said the two were friends?

“This better be important Krennic. I was busy in my lab when you called.” Galen replied, annoyance in his tone. Then his gaze shifted from Krennic to Thrawn. 

Krennic clearly noticed this. 

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, this is Professor Galen Erso. He is the foremost expert in the field of crystallography. Galen, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn. You may have heard of his expertise in dealing with the rebellion.”

Thrawn held out his hand to be polite if nothing else. He had never heard of this Galen Erso before, but the fact that he was an expert in crystallography meant that whatever he was doing here had something to do with the kyber crystals. 

And that meant he could discover what this secret was. 

Erso, somewhat reluctantly, shook Thrawn’s hand, or so it seemed to the Grand Admiral. 

Thrawn would not judge, that was not his style. 

“Well now that introductions are out of the way we must get to work. Come Galen, this way. Grand Admiral, would you accompany us. We’d be honoured to show you our project.” Krennic spoke, gesturing with his hand to a door beyond them.

“Certainly Director. Lead the way.” Thrawn replied, before following as Krennic led them. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Several hallways and a turbolift later, Thrawn found himself face to face with a restricted section of the station, one that was apparently still under construction.

“This area of the station is yet to be completed, and thus the outer shell is only held on by magnetic clamps.” Krennic detailed as the three entered a large open space, one full devoid of any workers. 

That confused Thrawn. If the area was still under construction, then where were the workers?

Erso voiced the question first. 

“Where are the workers?”

Krennic seemed to have prepared for this question, as his response was immediate and detailed.

“Much of the work in this section is dangerous, and requires absolute precision. Rather than risk valuable workers, we have been utilizing reprogrammed buzz droids. They can fit into smaller spaces, and are not affected by any sudden decompression that might accidently occur.”

“Buzz droids? Like the ones from the clone war?” Erso interrupted, sounding surprised at the idea. 

Thrawn too was surprised at Krennic’s ingenuity. Perhaps he had underestimated the Director. 

“Indeed Galen. But they are safe I assure you. Come, this way.” Krennic finished, leading the others to another doorway on the far side of the room. 

The fact that this part of the station could was only held on by magnetic locks at the moment meant that it could fall apart at any second, and thus vent everything in the room into space instantly. Thus, using droids was a far more fool proof plan than risking lives. 

Internally, Thrawn noted that it would also be an excellent defence mechanism in case any intruders got aboard the station.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

After yet another long series of corridors, as well as listening to Krennic go on and on about the station’s architecture, to which Thrawn had noted Erso rolling his eyes at, the group approached yet another classified door. 

Thrawn had never been this far into the station, and the door was heavily guarded. 

Six Imperial Deathtroopers stood guard, three on each side, as if protecting some great secret. 

And hopefully Thrawn was about to discover what it was. 

“Ah, here we are gentlemen.” Krennic spoke, approaching the Deathtroopers to clear them for access.

Seconds later, the doors opened, and the group stepping inside. 

For such a classified part of the station, there sure were a lot of personal present, ranging from scientists to troopers.

It was perhaps the busiest part of the station, aside from the hanger bay of course. 

Stepping further into the room, Thrawn glanced around. Various consoles had various readings on, some were clearly power readings, while others seemed to be present a long series of numbers or letters.

This was clearly some sort of top secret project. 

And then he looked up. 

“Is that…?” The Chiss spoke aloud. 

“Yes, a kyber crystal. Larger than the normal size, and far more powerful.” Krennic spoke, awe in his voice. 

So the Inquisitor had been right. There was a kyber crystal of significant size on the station. But what for?

“I don’t see what you need from me Krennic. Everything should be in working order.” Erso spoke for the side, tapping away at a nearby terminal, accessing various files. 

“Oh Galen, it’s not this crystal I need you to look at, but another.”

Erso span around from the console, a look of surprise on his face. Internally, Thrawn felt the same. 

There was more than one crystal?

Krennic gestured them to follow, leading them through two more identical rooms, each housing another large kyber crystal, until they came to another locked door, this time without any guards, but requiring a passcode to open, one Krennic clearly possessed. 

Seconds later, the door opened, and Krennic lead them through.

What Thrawn saw on the other side terrified him. He wasn’t easily scared, having most of the time prepared for every outcome. But this…

Clearly Galen Erso felt the same.

“Mother of god! Is that…?”

Before them was another kyber crystal, but this one dwarfed the others. It was huge, about as tall as an imperial AT-AT walker. Rather than emit the standard yet powerful green glow that the other crystals had, this one pulsated a menacing dark red. 

Everything about it felt wrong, unnatural, as if it shouldn’t be. 

And Thrawn could swear he was getting a migraine just from being near it. 

Krennic then spoke, pride mixed with smugness in his voice. 

“That, gentleman, is a kyber crystal. A synthetic one to be precise, created long ago, but still just as powerful as the day it was made.”

Thrawn had no idea that synthetic crystals were a thing. As far as he knew, they were natural, not artificial. 

Yet this one, this monstrosity, existed. 

What sort of power did it yield?

Erso was clearly in as much awe as he was. 

“Krennic? Where did you find this thing?”

Krennic chuckled lightly before replying.

“Apparently the Emperor went on some sort of expedition with his Inquisitor. They found it and unearthed it about a month ago, and asked me to integrate it into the stations weapon system.”

Erso had a horrified look on his face. 

“Orson, a normal kyber crystal is dangerous enough. The large ones powering the weapon even more so. This thing… if it were to go unstable? You have to get rid of it!”

Krennic turned harshly on Erso, raising his hand in anger, but stopping himself from striking his so called ‘friend.’ 

“No Professor, the Emperor demands results, and I will produce them. I want you to analyse the crystal to ensure the very thing you fear does not happen. Do you understand?” Krennic practically snarled at Erso, who lowered his head before accepting, moving off to a nearby terminal.

“So Grand Admiral, what do you think? Grand Admiral?” Krennic turned his attention to the Chiss. 

Thrawn however was preoccupied with the recent turn in events, as well as recent revelations. 

The Inquisitor had already known about a crystal being on the station. That meant he had been playing Thrawn all this time. 

Thrawn should have known better than to trust the Terrelian. 

“Grand Admiral, are you ok. I know the crystal can be distracting.” Krennic gently placed his hand on Thrawn’s shoulder, lightly shaking the Chiss out of his thoughts.

“Oh, ahem, yes, thank you Director. What is the purpose behind all of these crystals exactly?” Thrawn enquired, genuinely interested by this point. 

This must have been the reason for the secrecy. 

“This entire station is merely a shell for the weapon inside, one powered by the very crystals you have seen. Previously we have intended to use the small ones as the power source for the weapon, and we still intend to. However, this synthetic crystals has given us new ways to shape the weapon. It will prove to be the ultimate tool for the empire!” Krennic seemed to speak with a fire in his eyes, as if he believed himself some sort of god. 

Thrawn looked back at the crystal before him. Just being in its presence unnerved the Chiss. 

“It feels like it’s watching me.” Thrawn spoke, surprised at his own timidness. 

Krennic however seemed to understand. 

“I feel the same Grand Admiral. It has that effect on everyone. Come, let us leave Galen to his work and I shall tell you more about Project Stardust.” 

Thrawn nodded, shifting his gaze over to Erso, who was working at a nearby terminal. 

“Yes, lets.” Thrawn replied, turning to follow Krennic back out the way they had come in. 

As he followed Krennic, Thrawn went through the new knowledge he had learnt today. 

Firstly, he was not to trust the Eighth Brother anymore. 

Secondly, this station was more than it seemed on the outside. 

And thirdly, if someone could construct a kyber crystal of that size and power, there was more to the universe than Thrawn had previously thought, and that it could very well be in peril with the existence of such a crystal.

Only one question remained unanswered however. 

Where had the Emperor gotten such a crystal in the first place?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, anyone want to guess where Sidious got the synthetic crystal from? I'd love to hear your guesses.   
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it deviated from canon quite heavily.   
> Next time round, its a flashback chapter, following the Eight Bro and Sidious, showing where they go the crystal from.


	15. The Weapon at the Heart of the Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Eighth Brother and Sidious uncover something powerful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot heavy chapter. I hope you are ready.

Malachor was dark, and not just in terms of visibility. 

The whole planet was entrenched in the darkside. The Sith temple before them did little to help. Like many ancient Sith temples it seemed to radiate an aura of displeasure and pain, as well as hatred, all known tenants of the darkside.

And the Eighth Brother could not believe he was back here again!

This was where it had all gone wrong for him. 

Where Vader had betrayed him.

Where Tano and Maul had bested and murdered two of his siblings. 

And where the holocron had deemed him unworthy.

And now he was back here again, and this time he found himself in the company of the Lord of the Sith himself. 

Darth Sidious stood beside him, looking up at the Malachor temple. If the Eighth Brother didn’t know any better, he’d day he felt awe coming off of Sidious in the force. 

“A powerful place. Now ours for the taking.” Sidious croaked in glee, a demented smile coming to his face, unnerving the Eighth Brother. 

Still, he had to play along. 

“Indeed my Lord. But question why we return to this place?”

Sidious’ head turned slowly, as if he was trying to be sarcastic or something. 

“This temple conceals much Inquisitor. Today, we shall unearth it all.”

Never let it be said that Sidious was nothing if not cryptic. In that sense, he was similar to the Jedi masters of old. 

The Eighth Brother glanced around the landscape of Malachor. As far as he knew, there was an intricate set of tunnels and chambers that ran below the temple, all leading to a central point. He wasn’t sure what the Emperor as searching for. As far as he knew, the Sith holocron had been the true prize from the temple, and even that had proven to be uncooperative. 

“My Lord, what do we seek?”

Sidious cackled, before gesturing upwards. 

“We must ascend the temple to gain our prize Inquisitor.” 

‘Still no answer.’ The Eighth Brother thought. He wasn’t going to argue however. 

“There are lifts nearby. We can use those to ascend my Lord.” 

Displeasure ran through the force suddenly, before Sidious shook his head. 

“No need!” The Sith croaked, before crouching slightly. 

Seconds later, Sidious vaulted into the air, his cape billowing dramatically. It was almost as if he was flying with the force. 

The Sith master faded into the darkness above, clearly landing at the summit of the temple. 

“Show-off.” The Eighth Brother muttered under his breath. The Emperor was clearly overly powerful in the force if he could fly. The Eighth Brother was powerful too, but not that powerful. 

He would have to find another way up. 

Smirking to himself, he remembered something he had done the last time he was on Malachor. 

Reaching onto his back, he grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber and ignited the double blades.

Pressing a small button on the side of the hilt, he engaged the rotation feature on it, and held it above his head. 

“Let’s see you do this ‘Lord’ Sidious!” The Eighth Brother spoke with a snarl, before delving into the force and jumping, allowing his saber to carry him upwards in a bizarre manipulation of the force. 

****************************************************************************************************************************************

The Eighth Brother ascended the temple in record time, disengaging the rotation feature on his saber, and landing into a roll at the summit. 

Standing from his position, the Eighth Brother turned to face Sidious, a smug smile present beneath his helmet.

Clearly the emperor had not been expecting the Inquisitor to reach the top of the temple like that. 

“Impressive Inquisitor, but impractical.” 

Beneath his helmet, the Eighth Brother rolled his eyes. 

“What’s the matter Lord Sidious, jealous you can’t do that?”

The Eighth Brother regretted the words the second they came from his mouth.

The Emperor outstretched one hand, fingers pointing towards him, and flicked them once.

Lightning erupted from the Sith master’s fingertips, crashing into the Eighth Brother and sending him to his knees. Agony coursed through the Terrelian’s body for several seconds, before the lightning subsided. 

Even after that, the Eighth Brother’s joints ached in pain, and would for some time.

“Be mindful of your tongue Inquisitor. The only reason you live is because you brought me this!” The Emperor spoke calmly, despite what had just happened. From his cloak he extracted a small pyramid shaped object that the Eighth Brother recognized. 

The Sith holocron.

The Eighth Brother had taken a tremendous risk in giving the holocron to Sidious in the first place. For all he knew, the Sith master would have taken the holocron and then killed him. 

But he didn’t instead citing it as necessary, and making his whole ordeal seem like some sort of final challenge. 

Sidious had welcomed the Inquisitor back with open arms, giving him missions and assignments to complete in the name of the empire. 

And truthfully, the Inquisitor was glad to have a real purpose again. 

Even if he was playing the long game, trying to get all his enemies together in one place to destroy each other on his behalf. 

The Eighth Brother was unsure if Sidious knew, or even suspected what he was up to. It wouldn’t surprise him if he did know. 

But for now, he had to play the role of loyal servant, and that meant coming back to Malachor.

The Eighth Brother rose from his knees, the pain subsided even further. 

“Of course my master. My mistake.”

Sidious nodded, before turning to head into the central chamber at the top of the temple. 

Shaking his head in disdain, the Eighth Brother followed. 

The two darksiders entered the central chamber, each looking around. The Eighth Brother had been here before, yet Sidious had not. 

As they approached the central obelisk, something pinged in the force to the Inquisitor. It was a dark cold presence in the force. Something was lurking nearby. 

Turning away from Sidious, the Eighth Brother approached the spot where the force seemed to sing. Except the song was dark, mysterious, and cold.

In fact, it felt very familiar to the Inquisitor.

The Eighth Brother heard movement behind him, and turned his head slightly to see the approaching form of Darth Sidious, who had also picked up on the familiar cold presence.

The Sith Lord stared down for a few brief moments, before confirming the Eighth Brother's theory.

"This is the spot where Tano killed Lord Vader. A shame!"

The Inquisitor huffed aloud. "A shame? He betrayed me, and failed you! He deserves to be remembered with shame."

Sidious snarled aloud. "Show respect Inquisitor! We would never have gotten this far without him!"

Beneath his helmet, the Eighth Brother rolled his eyes. "How did Tano beat him anyway?"

Surprising the Eighth Brother, Sidious cackled.

"Tano was trained by Vader. It should come as no surprise that the apprentice supersedes the master. That is the way of the Sith after all."

The Eighth Brother's head pivoted in surprise. That almost sounded like the emperor was going to...

"Ahsoka Tano will be a powerful Sith. She will be easier to break than even Skywalker was!"

So Sidious was intending on turned the Togruta to the darkside. Interesting.

Part of the Eighth Brother was filled with a dark sense of glee. To see such a powerful individual, corrupted by the darkside would be delicious irony.

At the same time, if Tano did fall, then she would effectively replace him. What would happen to him?

Or perhaps she would overthrow the Emperor? Such options.

"But you are right Inquisitor. In our most desperate hour, Lord Vader failed us, and thus he deserves to be remembered in shame." Sidious snarled, bending down to pick something up.

The Inquisitor didn't see what it was, only that it was extracted from what looked like the wreckage of Vader's lightsaber.

Standing back to his full height, the emperor huffed once, before turning back towards the obelisk in the centre of the chamber.

The Eighth Brother took one last look at where Vader fell.

“Seeya later, ‘master’!”

The Inquisitor turned away from where Vader fell, and walked back towards the Emperor, who now appeared to be studying the obelisk in detail. 

In one hand, the Sith holocron rested, clearly opened. The Eighth Brother hoped the Emperor wasn’t going to activate the weapon. That hadn’t gone well last time.

“So, what are we looking for?” The Inquisitor inquired, coming to stand beside the Emperor. 

Beneath his hood, a small dark smile covered Sidious’ face.

“This temple was built eons ago, from a time when the power of the Sith was absolute. Yet the constant war with the Jedi of old led to the development of secret projects, all designed to give us an edge over the Jedi filth!” Sidious began.

“You refer to the time before the rule of two?” The Inquisitor inquired.

Sidious nodded. “Indeed Inquisitor. This temple was one such project, dedicated to the creation of a weapon that wipes out all life on a planet.”

“I’d say they succeeded, given the current state of Malachor.” The Inquisitor continued. The numerous ash statues below provided evidence enough.

“Yes, but it is not the temple we are here for today, but the weapon itself. This weapon was one created and designed by the architect of the temple. A Sith Lady of great power and wisdom. She sought to give us an advantage over the Jedi in any way possible, and she did so by researching kyber crystals.”

The Eighth Brother looked around the temples interior. What did it have to do with kyber crystals?

“As you know Inquisitor, in order to acquire the crystals for our own weapons, we must procure one from a Jedi, and corrupt it to our will. While effective, this does put us at a disadvantage.” Sidious continued. The Eighth Brother could understand what the emperor was saying. If they could not acquire the crystals naturally like the Jedi did, they could not naturally build a lightsaber. 

And taking a crystal from a Jedi in the first place without a weapon of your own was no easy feat. 

In fact it was borderline impossible. 

“So, in order to remove this disadvantage, the Sith Lady began experimenting into the creation of artificial kyber crystals, born from the very nature and power of the darkside itself!”

Beneath his helmet, the Eighth Brother’s eyes widened. He had heard legends and rumours of artificial kyber crystals. But from all records, it had never been achieved.

“Synthetic crystals? Aren’t those supposed to be highly unstable?” The Inquisitor asked. He still did not see what this had to do with the temple.

“Indeed Inquisitor. All attempts to fabricate such crystals met with failure. They proved to be too unstable for use.”

“So the experiment was a failure then?” The Eighth Brother concluded. Unstable kyber crystals had a habit of exploding in one’s face, and the results were usually fatal. 

“For a time Inquisitor, until a new theory was produced as to why they were so unstable.” Sidious cackled. 

“I don’t understand my Lord? If the crystals produced were too unstable, why didn’t the researchers opt for an alternate plan?” The Eighth Brother replied, glancing around the central chamber, still unsure of the connection. 

“Because the Sith Lady had a theory. The reason for the instability of the artificial crystals was due to size. The sheer amount of power needed to create such a crystal could not be contained within such a small shell. So if she couldn’t make one small enough to use in lightsabers…”

A spark of understanding went off in the Eighth Brother’s head. “Then you make a bigger crystal!”

Sidious cackled again, enthusiasm on his face. 

“So the Sith Lady continued to experiment, in hopes of creating one enormous artificial crystal containing all the power of a Sith! She planned to use the crystal to create a weapon, one capable of ending the war with the Jedi once and for all. But even then, the experiments yielded mixed results.”

Rather than interrupt again, the Eighth Brother just listened. 

“This time round, the shell of the crystal was stable, but the weapon itself was not. Any attempts to use it would have destroyed the crystal, as well as all life in the surrounding area.”

Now that sounded familiar to the Eighth Brother. A weapon capable of destroying all life in the surrounding area, but leaving infrastructure intact. 

“The temple’s main weapon! That’s the connection! But how did you know Lord Sidious?” The Eighth Brother spoke, dark excitement in his voice. 

Sidious outstretched his hand, the Sith holocron resting in its palm. Through the force, the Eighth Brother could feel Sidious manipulating the artefact, trying to unlock its secrets. 

Then suddenly, the holocron opened, and a bright light shone out of it. When his vision cleared, the Eighth Brother could see the holocron floating before Sidious, a dull pulsating red light emanating from it. 

“Is this where I will find it?” Sidious spoke. The Eighth Brother almost responded, believing that the emperor was speaking to him. However, someone else beat him to it.

“Yes my Lord. The crystal is here!” The voice was feminine, and one that the Eighth Brother recognized as the voice from the Sith holocron. 

Seconds later, Sidious closed the holocron, the artefact returning to his palm, before he placed it back into his cloak. 

The Eighth Brother watched as Sidious then rose both hands into the air, as if gripping something on the roof, and began to manipulate the force. 

Loud creaking sounds echoed through the central chamber, and the Eighth Brother felt the temple begin to shift slightly. Looking up at the roof of the chamber, the Inquisitor saw why. 

Very slowly, the roof began to move, as if it was some vast array of locked doors, each open unlocking and opening to reveal some great secret. 

The Eighth Brother watched in anticipation, waiting to see what was revealed. 

As another set of door like barriers opened, the Inquisitor felt a rush of the darkside of the force sweeping over him, almost devouring him in its strength. 

His head began to ache, a slow growing pain. 

“What is that?” The Inquisitor asked as Sidious continued to manipulate the roof.

Then, the final obstruction was removed, and the Eighth Brother could see the source of the power. 

Suspended in the roof of the temple, evidently connected to the pyramid structure atop the temple, was a large ominous kyber crystal. It pulsated a dark red hue, giving of energy at an unprecedented rate. 

The Eighth Brother had seen a lot of crazy things in his life, but this was a first. If he was to guess…

“The artificial kyber crystal created by the Lady of the Sith, integrated into the main weapon of this temple. All of the work of the ancient Sith, stored in a crystalline shell. This entire temple was constructed to merely house the crystal, to hide it from prying eyes of Jedi. This was to win us the war!”

The Eighth Brother said nothing, merely observed the crystal in all its might. It was huge, much bigger than any crystal he had encountered before. Its size even dwarfed that of an imperial AT-AT walker. 

All that power, all that wisdom, contained in one crystal. 

‘Think of what I could do with such a thing!’ The Eighth Brother thought discreetly. He didn’t need to shield his thoughts too strongly. Sidious was too distracted by the crystal.

“I thought you said it was unstable?” The Eighth Brother asked, concern in his voice. If Sidious intended on using the crystal…

A grim look appeared on Sidious’ face, as if he was contemplating something. Then the Sith master continued to speak. 

“I did. According to the reports from the Sith lady herself, the only way to stabilize the crystal was to activate the weapon. However, in doing so it would kill all those caught in the blast of the weapon. No Sith was willing to needlessly sacrifice their own life to test an unstable project, so it was never fired, and thus never stabilised.”

The Eighth Brother’s mood plummeted again. This just seemed to be going in circles. 

“That was until Jedi forces, led by a turncoat Sith, attacked the temple in hopes of destroying the experiments of the Sith Lady. When it was clear that the battle was lost, the Sith Lady activated the weapon, destroying all life on Malachor, including her own.” Sidious detailed, placing emphasis on the destruction of all life. 

Something flashed in the Eighth Brother’s mind. A story he had heard when he was younger, told to him by the Jedi. He had assumed it was just a fairy-tale of some kind. A legend. 

“The Great Scourge of Malachor!” The Terrelian whispered to himself, shock in his tone. Never did had he thought about what had happened to cause Malachor to be in ruin. But now…

Now it all made sense.

“Indeed Inquisitor. When the weapon fired, all life was destroyed on Malachor, yet the temple, and the crystal, now stabilised, remained intact. Before her passing, the Lady of the Sith stored everything she had discovered, all the secrets she had unearthed, into a Sith holocron. The one that was housed in this very temple.”

So that was the connection. The crystal and the holocron, both created by the same person, the same Lady of the Sith. 

“In order to fully utilize the power of the crystal, one must possess the holocron. They are linked by the darkside of the force. Only together will they work.” Sidious finished, his eyes covering every corner of the crystal with unrestrained glee. 

“But how do we use it my Lord? The weapon only effects Malachor. It is clearly unfinished in its design.” The Eighth Brother inquired. 

Sidious replied. “We will take the crystal, and integrate it with project Stardust. Combining this weapon with the one we are constructing should allow us the use the crystal to its full potential, just as the Lady of the Sith designed it for.” 

The Sith master then turned his attention away from the crystal, facing the Eighth Brother, a maniacal look in his eyes. 

“Contact the Eclipse, and get a survey and excavation team down to the surface at once. We must remove this crystal and transport it to Krennic immediately. Soon, the Jedi will fall before our might, as they always should!”

The Eighth Brother bowed in respect, before turning to head outside of the temple to contact Sidious’ flagship. Behind him, Sidious turned his attention back to the artificial kyber crystal, and cackled aloud, his demonic laughter echoing around the chamber of the Sith temple on Malachor. 

It was a good day to be Sith!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I messed up, and this is a re-upload with corrections. Thus, I'm not going to say much other than I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll take about what happened next time.  
> Sorry. :(


	16. The Old Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rex heads off to speak to some old friends about the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So less plot heavy chapter this time. Time for a breather methinks.  
> Still, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.  
> Also, please check the notes at the end for a status update regarding this story, as well as information about what went wrong last chapter.

Captain Rex looked out over the vast open salt plains of Seelos from his co-pilot seat. The vast nothingness was home to very little, save the occasional Joopa. 

But Rex wasn’t here to fish for giant worms today. 

He was here to recruit two war veterans for his commander’s mission.

The only question was whether or not Wolffe and Gregor would come out of retirement to help them.

In the years after Order 66, Wolffe had become somewhat despondent, guilt clearly eating away at him. He had tried to save his Jedi General, Master Plo Koon, but had ultimately failed and was forced to watch as members of his own battalion, the Wolf Pack, had shot down Plo’s fighter, killing the Kel Dor instantly. 

Numerous nights had been spent on their old run down AT-TE listening to Wolffe calling out Plo’s name in despair in his dreams, clearly reliving the horrible events of that day. 

It was times like these that he was glad that he and Ahsoka had escaped from Order 66. Admittedly, they had had to slaughter the majority of the troops that were present on Mandalore with them at the time, but they had escaped no worse for wear. 

Gregor was an entirely different story. He was unstable at the best of times. Rex would even call him crazy. But he was also proficient, being a clone commando and all. 

If Rex could bring them into the mission, their chances of success would skyrocket. 

Hearing a deep grumble beside him, Rex turned his gaze to the individual piloting the ship. When everyone had agreed to go their separate ways to recruit people, they had agreed on teams of two for safety. 

Ahsoka had gone with Kaeden, which hadn’t surprised Rex at all. They had been getting closer and closer recently. 

Kanan had gone with Zeb to get Sabine, and Hera had teamed up with fellow pilot Miara to recruit Hera’s father. 

That hadn’t left Rex with many choices of companion, which had then been reduced even further. 

Ezra and Chopper had departed for Lothal, hoping to gain the support of Ryder, and Kallus and AP5 had remained on Yavin 4 to gather supplied and materials for the mission. Apparently they had some ideas in regards to upgrading the Ghost. 

So that had left Rex with only one person to have as company, and never in a million years did the old clone think he would have to spend some one on one time with him. 

“Your friends live in this place? It’s even more inhospitable than that junkyard I ended up in after Naboo!”

Rex resisted the urge to groan aloud. Maul was not what he would call likeminded company. The Zabrak was cynical, cruel and dark, willing to twist things for his benefit. 

Ahsoka may have trusted him, but Rex still couldn’t help be cautious. If Maul ever turned on them, he would be ready. 

“It was a good place to hide after the clone war. None of us wanted to fight anymore, not after what we had seen.” Rex replied, his tone becoming darker at the end of his statement. 

Maul huffed as he piloted the Nightbrother towards the coordinates Rex had given him. 

“You refer to the clone betrayal. For what it’s worth, Tano could have escaped that without your help.” Maul spoke, his golden eyes briefly glancing over to Rex’s hazel ones. 

A small smile came to the old clones face. Maul was at least trying to be compassionate, in his weird former Sith Lord way that was. 

“That she would have.” Rex responded to Maul’s prior statement. “But after everything we had seen, Wolffe, Gregor and I just wanted to get away from everything, give ourselves time to think things over.”

Maul nodded. The Zabrak could relate. Ever since Naboo he had been doubting his very purpose. If he was not meant to be the apprentice to Darth Sidious, then who was he? 

It wasn’t until Ahsoka had offered support that he had found a purpose, at least a temporary one. 

“Yet you returned to Lady Tano’s side when she asked. Why?” Maul inquired.

Rex’s response was instantaneous. “Because she is my friend.”

Silence fell between the two unlikely comrades as they contemplated each other’s words. 

After a few moments more of silence and careful flying on Maul’s behalf, the Zabrak’s eyes widen in surprise at something. 

“Sensors are picking up an Imperial Walker. AT-AT class. What is the empire doing this far out?” 

A large smile came to Rex’s face as he too studied the readout. It was indeed an Imperial AT-AT, but one that was heavily modified. On its side, attached by ropes and other equipment, was a large pole like construct, one that resembled a fishing line of some kind.

“That’s them. Open a comm link to them.” Rex said, preparing to send a message, one he knew would get their attention.

“Your friends commandeered an Imperial Walker? I like them already.” Maul replied, rare humour in his tone. 

Rex shook his head at Maul’s attempt of a joke, before returning to the situation at hand. It was time to pass on his message. 

Leaning towards the comm panel, Rex spoke. “CT-7567.”

That was all Rex had to say. If all went well, Wolffe and Gregor would recognize his old clone number, and allow him to land and talk with them. 

If it didn’t go well…

Seconds later, a familiar voice responded through the comm link. 

“Rex? Is that you?” Gregor’s overly enthusiastic tone replied, joy evident. 

“It is brother. I need to talk to you and Wolffe.” Rex responded, equally happy to know his brothers were alive. 

“Come on down Rex.” Gregor responded, before cutting the transmission. 

Maul, who had been listening to the discussion, angled the Nightbrother down, moving into position above the AT-AT, and lowering the back ramp for Rex to exit from.

“You not coming Maul?” Rex inquired when Maul told him the plan. 

The Zabrak gave a cold hard look to Rex before replying. 

“Your friends will probably shoot me on sight. Besides, I need to go talk to someone elsewhere. You want picking up later?” Maul said. 

Rex understood what Maul was saying. It was bad enough he was here to ask his brothers to join a suicide mission. Having Maul show up alongside him might push the other clones over the edge. 

And apparently Maul had someone he needed to speak to about the mission. Who, Rex didn’t know. He just knew he’d find out in time. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find my own way off the planet, with or without my brothers.”

Maul nodded before turning back to the pilot console of the Nightbrother.

“Fair enough. Good hunting captain.”

Rex was surprised at the wish of luck from Maul, but chose not to bring it up to the Zabrak. Instead, he turned and left the cockpit, heading towards the back of the ship.

When he reached the ramp, he was forced to jump a few feet onto the back on the AT-AT.

Looking around, he heard the Nightbrother ascend quickly, disappearing from sight within moments. 

Shaking his head at Maul’s antics, he turned his attention to finding an entrance into the walker’s interior, spotting one on the head. Approaching the hatch, Rex lifted it upwards, before vaulting inside the walker. 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The second Rex landed on the floor of the interior of the captured walker, he was engulfed in an unexpected bear hug, courtesy of Gregor. 

“Rex old buddy, you’re back!” Gregor’s almost youthful tone brought a smile to Rex’s face, even as he struggled to breathe due to the aforementioned hug. 

Behind the commando, Wolffe stood, his face still as stern as ever. Despite that, Rex could have sworn that he saw a look of relief and joy flash in the clone commander’s non-cybernetic eye briefly.

If asked, Rex was sure Wolffe would deny it, trying to keep up his tough guy act. 

Rex knew better.

Eventually, Gregor broke off the bear hug, pulling back to stand beside Wolffe, a smirk on his face. 

“It’s good to see you too Gregor. And you Wolffe.” Rex spoke to his old friends. They seemed in good shape, accelerated aging notwithstanding. 

“Nice of you to come see us Rex. You and the kid overthrown the empire yet?” Wolffe spoke, rare humour in his voice. 

“Not yet Wolffe, but that’s part of the reason I’m here.” Rex replied, turning to look around the pilot cabin of the AT-AT. It was significantly smaller than their old AT-TE, and as proven, not nearly as versatile. 

That being said, it was a useful machine, and had clearly become home to the two clones in Rex’s absence. 

“Oh this will be good.” Sarcasm came from Wolffe’s tone, as he sat dowin in one of the seats piloting the AT-AT. Rex sought out another seat in the back of the AT-AT’s cabin, one clearly salvaged from the remains of the AT-TE. Gregor meanwhile busied himself rummaging through a crate in the back, pulling out three meilooruns and distributing them to the clones present.

Rex accepted the fruit, taking a sizable bite out of it before speaking again. 

“Truth be told we are close. We have a chance to assassinate the entire imperial leadership at once, including the emperor, as well as destroy a superweapon they have been building. Ahsoka wants to launch a mission to assault the station. But rebel command refused.”

Wolffe seemed to be listening intently to what Rex was saying. “Let me guess, see’s going to attack them anyway!” 

Rex nodded, taking another bite out of his meiloorun. In the back, Gregor was moving around the cabin, shifting another crate, this one sealed. 

“No surprise there huh? Except rebel command dismissed her from their service. She’s doing all this behind their back.”

Wolffe froze mid bite of his meiloorun, something flashing in his eyes. Recognition, if not guilt. At least, that’s what Rex would call it. 

Swallowing the fruit he had in his mouth, Wolffe leaned forward and spoke. 

“She got dismissed again! What has this universe got against that girl? First the Jedi… now this!”

Rex understood what Wolffe was referring to. Ahsoka’s expulsion from the Jedi order. 

Wolffe had hunted her down that day, as had Rex. And clearly Wolffe had never forgiven himself for it. To be honest, Rex hadn’t forgiven himself either. He could have done much much more. 

But he didn’t. 

Still, Ahsoka seemed to want him by her side despite that. So that’s where he would be, till the day he died. 

“I know Wolffe, but that’s not important right now. Since we’re doing this mission unofficially, we don’t have access to rebel resources or personal. Simply put, we’re looking for volunteers to join us on a suicide mission.” Rex spoke carefully and slowly, so as not to come across as demanding. It really was their choice, and he would respect them if they said no. 

Wolffe seemed to be debating something internally. What, Rex couldn’t tell, and he wouldn’t pry either. If Wolffe wanted to tell him, he would. 

Gregor, who was still shifting another crate around didn’t even bother to turn to face Rex, he merely spoke aloud. 

“Ah, sorry Captain. We are a bit busy fishing and doing nothing at the moment. We’d love to join you, but it’s far more fun out here being old and grumpy with nothing to fight.”

Gregor had always been unstable, but that answer was off the charts, even for Gregor. 

‘Is he drunk or something?’ Rex thought humorously. Across from him, Wolffe had a similarly confused look on his face. 

Regaining his composure, Rex nodded his head. 

“Far enough Gregor. I won’t force you. If you’re happy here, then I wish you the best.”

It was then that Gregor stopped his shifting, standing tall and pivoting to face the captain in a blink of an eye. 

“What?!” The old commando asked, surprise in his voice. 

“You said you wanted to stay here, and I respect that.” Rex confirmed slowly. ‘Maybe he is drunk.’

Gregor stared dumbfounded for a few brief moments, before bursting out into laughter. Not quite maniacal, but crazy nonetheless. 

When the commando managed to calm himself, he spoke directly to Rex. 

“I was being sarcastic captain, keep up. It’s boring here. Nothing to do but sit and stare at empty salt plains all day. I want to kill something. Hell yeah I’ll join your mission!”

To be honest, Rex should have seen that coming. Why would Gregor of all people not join a mission?

Nodding his head, a small smile at Gregor’s antics on his face, he turned back to face Wolffe, who was watching him like a hawk. 

The commander’s eyes, even his cybernetic one, just watched, staring into Rex’s very soul. 

Eventually, Wolffe rose from his seat, before heading into the back of the cabin, pulling a crate towards Rex. 

Dumping it at Rex’s feet, the clone commander lifted the lid. 

Looking down at the crate, Rex was surprised to see what was inside. 

A variety of weapons, many from the clone war era, had been stockpiled by Wolffe and Gregor. There were a pair of rocket launchers, as well as a myriad of different blaster variants, ranging from rifles to pistols. 

Wolffe disappeared into the back of the cabin again, pulling out another crate. This one contained a vast array of explosives, all of which Rex thought would be useful for the mission. They did have a kyber crystal to destroy after all. 

Wolffe returned with another crate, this one containing a pair of rotary blaster cannons. 

“Wow!” Rex mumbled under his breath. This arsenal was huge. How had Wolffe and Gregor acquired all of this?

“Oh this isn’t the best part Rex. Look!” Gregor moved up beside Rex, before pointing to where Wolffe had disappeared to this time. 

Wolffe emerged seconds later, an old republic flamethrower in his hands, and a devious smirk on his face. 

“So, will this be enough to assassinate the emperor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Status update/admittance to what I did
> 
> So...
> 
> Yeah...
> 
> I screwed up bad last chapter!
> 
> Essentially, in the original draft, one that I posted on this site, I had the Eighth Bro and Sidious find Vader's body in the temple on Malachor. What followed was a scene where the Inquisitor essentially taunted the body.
> 
> The problem was, in the end of the first story I had Ahsoka take Vader's body back to Atollon and cremate it. This created a major breach in my AU continuity, one that I couldn't let stand.
> 
> Thus, when it was brought to my attention, I immediately took the chapter down to rewrite the scene into what it is now.
> 
> I want to apologise for my stupidity. I should have properly proof-read the chapter as to avoid the mistake. To the people who read the chapter before it was changed, my bad! Please forgive me.
> 
> To those that didn't see my blunder... consider yourselves lucky.
> 
> However, this incident has given me some clarity, and I have decided to take a short break from uploading, to give myself time to re-read what I have written to check for anymore errors such as this. I'm unsure how long the break will last, but I will be back. I hope you all understand. If you don't, thats ok, I won't hold it against you.
> 
> Taking a break will let me get further ahead on writing however, so that is a good thing... right?
> 
> Before I took the break I wanted to give you this chapter anyway. Consider this my Mid-Season finale for now. (not that I'll be gone that long)
> 
> So yeah, in summary: I made a mistake, now it's corrected. Sorry, taking a break. :)
> 
> But before I got, I realize I didn't give you a teaser for next chapter. Instead, as compensation for my break, I am going to give you the chapter titles of the upcoming chapters... the ones I have already written. Hopefully that is good for you all. They are as follows:
> 
> Chapter 17: Alexsandr Kallus, Fulcrum Agent  
> Chapter 18: Dissension Amongst the Ranks  
> Chapter 19: Journey across Jedha  
> Chapter 20: The Extremist  
> Chapter 21: Enemy of my Enemy
> 
> Hopefully those are enough to tease you all. Let me know what one you are most anticipating.
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for your continued support. I will be back soon. All I ask is a bit of patience.
> 
> Till then.
> 
> SirLoozElite


	17. Alexsandr Kallus, Fulcrum Agent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kallus helps with the mission the only way he can.  
> And K-2SO argues with everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, short chapter this time, but one that is vital to the plot. Hope you enjoy.

Captain Alexsandr Kallus mulled over the reports he was reading from AP5. Unlike the rest of the team, he didn’t know anyone who would be useful to the mission. So instead, rather than just sit around and do nothing, Kallus had taken up a pet project once again. 

Working on dismantling and studying the captured TIE Defender. He couldn’t risk powering it up, in case Thrawn had yet another booby trap somewhere inside the fighter that he had yet to discover. 

But that didn’t stop him from removing the components, such as the weapons, and shield generator, as well as the hyperdrive. 

His plan was to install them onto the Ghost, alongside the main weapon on the prototype B-wings that had been created. The combined firepower of both a B-wing’s laser, and the armaments of the TIE Defender should give the Ghost a fighting chance against any large imperial ships defending the superweapon the empire had been building. 

But that was his backup plan. Kallus had another idea, one that might the Ghost to sneak in undetected. 

“Hey, Kallus!” A voice called from behind him. Turning, Kallus recognized two figures moving towards him. Fellow Fulcrum agent Cassian Andor, and his partner in crime, K-2SO. 

“Cassian, what’s up?” Kallus enquired once Andor was within hearing distance. 

“I think rebel command is getting suspicious about what Ahsoka’s up too. Bail’s been trying to contact her, to no avail.” Cassian spoke quietly, ensuring that no one else could overhear them. 

The Massassi temple on Yavin Four was huge, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be overheard. 

“Karabast! I thought you and Sato were keeping them off our backs!” Kallus whispered in reply. 

Behind Cassian, K-2 shrugged his shoulders as if insulted.

“You’re welcome by the way. Honestly, no respect around this place.”

Cassian turned quickly.

“K-2, shut up!”

“How rude! Do you speak to your mother with that mouth?”

“K-2, I’m being serious!”

“Oh that’s a first!”

Kallus very nearly face palmed as the two descended into an argument, right in the middle of the rebel base. 

Deciding that he didn’t want to listen to another of their arguments today, Kallus decided to interrupt. 

“Hey, focus. What’s happening with rebel command?”

Cassian turned back, his face regaining his serious tone. 

“Right. We’ve been keeping them busy testing that new fighter of theirs, the X-wing. But I can only delay so long Kallus.”

Kallus nodded in understanding. Their window of time had to be precise for this mission to work. Attack too early and they would miss the chance to assassinate the emperor.   
Attack too late and they would also miss that chance. 

And the more they delayed, the closer Mon Mothma would get to finding out what Ahsoka was doing. 

“We just need a bit longer Cassian.” Kallus replied, turning back to his datapad. 

Flicking to the right, Kallus brought up the plans for the new fighter that Cassian had spoken about. 

The X-wing had been developed as a response to Thrawn’s Defender prototype, constructed from data salvaged from the prototype, as well as old plans for an advanced fighter that the empire had turned down in favour of the TIE design. 

The X-wing was designed to be fast, capable of going toe to toe with a Defender in combat. It had weapons that were reverse engineering from the Defender’s, as well as a functioning hyperdrive and shield system. 

And at the moment, only four existed. But they were planning to build more. 

Flicking to the right again on his datapad, Kallus brought up the schematics of the Defender they had captured. The weapons and shield system had already been removed, as well as the hyperdrive. In fact, both were sitting before him, waiting to be installed onto the Ghost when it arrived. Hera had reported in that they were returning for repairs. 

But that was not Kallus’ sole plan. The captured Defender also possessed an imperial IFF tag, one that could possibly be installed onto the Ghost to fool the imperial patrols. With it, they might even be able to sneak aboard the superweapon without a fight, making their life significantly easier. 

So he had ordered AP5 to remove it and bring it to him for analysis. 

It was all Kallus could really do at the moment. He hoped it was enough. 

“Oh no, here comes another me!” K-2 spoke up again, a surprising amount of sarcasm in his voice. 

Kallus turned to look in the direction K-2 had pointed in.

“We are completely different models K-2SO, and I am vastly superior to you.” AP5 spoke as he approached, a large box in his hands. 

K-2’s head seemingly reared back before he replied. Kallus sighed when he recognized what was about to happen. ‘Here we go again.’

“No you’re not!”

“Yes I am.”

“You can’t even fight!”

“My programming is based on logistics you malfunctioning fool!”

“Logistics? How boring!”

“Did Captain Andor reprogram you to say that?”

“How dare you!”

Beside Kallus, Cassian’s mouth dropped in bewilderment at the argument. What was with these droids?

“My programming is superior to yours.”

“No it’s not!”

“Yes it is!”

“Can you fly a ship? Or fire a blaster? I can!”

“Did Captain Andor reprogram you to do that?”

****************************************************************************************************************************

From above, Yavin Four was beautiful. The lush green jungles, with tall spires of Massassi architecture, created a sense of home for Hera. As if everything was ok. 

But right now she was not here to admire the scenery. The Ghost was in vital need of repairs after its run in with Skerris’ TIE Defender. 

Dropping just above the foliage, Hera passed on the access codes to rebel command, and began the descent. 

Approaching a large open area, Hera saw four figures standing beside a collection of crates. She recognized the figures as Kallus and Cassian, as well as AP5 and K-2SO. 

And it seemed like there was some sort of confrontation going on. 

Landing the Ghost on the stone floor that acted as the landing pad, Hera rose from her pilot’s seat and began to make her way off the Ghost. 

Both her father and Miara were sleeping currently, and Hera chose not to disturb them. 

Descending down the ramp of her ship, Hera approached the two Fulcrum agents, neither of which turned to face her. Instead, they just continued to stare at the two droids in shock, for reasons which Hera soon discovered. 

“At least I chose to join the rebels. You were reprogrammed.”

“You’re just jealous!”

“No I’m not!”

“Yes you are!”

Hera shook her head, before addressing her two organic comrades. 

“How long have they been doing this?”

Both Kallus and Cassian jumped in surprise, turning to face Hera, surprise on their faces. 

Hera smirked lightly. 

“Oh, hey Captain Syndulla. Not long.” Cassian spoke first, a rogue smile on his face. 

Hera’s arrival seemed to break up the argument, as K-2 departed in what seemed like a tantrum, and AP5 continued his path towards Kallus. 

“So what’s all this stuff then?” Hera enquired, gesturing to the collection of crates by Kallus. 

“Equipment for the mission. Heavy cannons from the Defender, as well as the shield generator and hyperdrive. Also a B-wing laser from that prototype you recovered. Thought we could install them on the Ghost, give us a better chance against the empire.” Kallus spoke, gesturing to each crate in turn. 

Hera nodded. They would certainly give the Ghost and extra kick. Shifting her head, her lekku swinging with the motion, she gestured to the box AP5 held. 

“And that is…?”

“The IFF transponder from the Defender Captain Syndulla. We might be able to integrate it into the Ghost’s systems, allowing us to sneak in and avoid any direct conflict.” AP5 spoke, handing the box off to Kallus. 

“Excellent work AP, let’s see what we can do.” Kallus replied with a smile, placing the IFF down next to the other crates. 

Hera had to say she was impressed. Kallus and AP5 had clearly been busy in her absence. And if all went to plan, she would have one heavily upgraded freighter to fly for the upcoming mission. They would need every advantage they could get if they wished to survive. 

Nodding, Hera went about organising repairs to her ship with Kallus and AP5, as well as the integration of the new equipment. They would need a team of people for the task. 

Hera hoped that Sato would lend a hand in that department, so as not to avoid raising too much suspicion. 

It wouldn’t be long now until they had to rendezvous at Raada. 

And from there, they would launch what could be their final mission.

*********************************************************************************************************************

From the shadows of the Massassi temple, a figure watched the crew of the Ghost. The various collection of crates seemed to be housing something they intended to install onto the Ghost. 

Which clearly meant they were up to something. 

The question was, what?

Huffing quietly to themselves, the figure turned to head into the central chambers of the rebel base, heading directly for the command centre. 

‘Mon Mothma will want to know about this!’ The figure thought to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! K-2, AP, calm it down over there! You are going to draw attention to yourselves!  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this brief look into what Kallus has been up to.  
> Next time round we head back to the Death Star, as a certain Lord of the Sith finally arrives on board with some unexpected company.


	18. Dissension Amongst the Ranks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emperor Palpatine arrives on the Death Star.  
> And Thrawn has a talk with someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, longer chapter this time around. Thought I'd upload it.  
> Hope you enjoy it.

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood tall in the hanger bay of the battle station, the ‘Death Star’ as Krennic had called it privately. Flanking him on either side were Governor Pryce and Colonel Yularen, both standing equally as tall as their Chiss companion. 

Glancing around the hanger bay, Thrawn surveyed those who were also present.

A legion of Stormtroopers, as well as a sizable squad of Deathtroopers were lined up ceremonially, waiting for their new arrival. 

Heading up the welcoming committee was Director Krennic, who was flanked by Tarkin and Galen Erso. The two men stood rigid, one with a smug look on his face, the other a bored one. 

Thrawn shifted his gaze again, this time spotting another group of soldiers standing at attention, but not wearing standard Stormtrooper armour, but instead some amalgamation of Stormtrooper and Mandalorian armour. 

Standing in front of the group of strangely armoured troopers was another man that Thrawn recognized. Tiber Saxon was the current governor of Mandalore, and had also clearly been invited to the ‘Meeting of the Moffs’. Why, Thrawn didn’t know, but he was sure he would find out. 

Shifting his gaze again, Thrawn spotted another group of high level officers, some he recognized, some he didn’t waiting not far from him. 

Clearly, the arrival of the Emperor had attracted some attention.

It seemed everyone was here awaiting his arrival, despite the fact that the meeting was no scheduled for a few more days. 

Giving Thrawn more time to uncover the truth about this station. 

Everyone that was, except the Eighth Brother, who still hadn’t returned from his mission. 

‘Perhaps he’s dead!’ Thrawn thought cynically. 

It was then that a Lambda class shuttle appeared in the hanger, landing before the assembled imperials. 

“He comes our Lord and master.” Pryce whispered behind Thrawn sarcastically. Thrawn resisted the urge to chuckle, even if it was unlike him. 

As the shuttle landed and powered off its engines, the ramp descended. 

Thrawn watched and counted as several members of the Emperor’s Royal Guard began to descend, lining up on the sides, creating a path for the emperor. 

“Ten guards? Is the Emperor expecting something?” Pryce whispered again, counting the guards as Thrawn had done.

“I am unsure governor, but it certainly seems like it.” Thrawn replied, continuing to watch as the remaining guards lined up.

‘Ten Royal Guards? Pryce might be onto something.’ Thrawn thought internally as the guards finished. 

It was then that the Emperor began to descend down the ramp, black cloak flowing behind him. 

Even to a non-force sensitive like Thrawn, The Emperor’s presence was one that sent chills down his spine. The Sith Lord was a menacing sight to behold, knowing full well that he could annihilate you in an instant if he wished. 

And by sneaking around investigating this battle station, Thrawn could very well fins himself on the receiving end of Sidious’ wrath.

If he wasn’t careful that was. Thrawn was always careful, and he always prepared himself. 

As the Emperor descended the ramp, another figure that Thrawn did not recognize appeared behind him, following the Emperor. 

“Who is that?” Pryce inquired, confusion in her voice. 

It was Yularen that answered quietly. “I believe that is Gallius Rax! He’s supposedly been working on some sort of secret project for the Emperor in private. Even my spies haven’t been able to determine what exactly it is.”

Thrawn absorbed what Yularen had said about secret project. The Emperor sure seemed to have a lot of those these days, almost as if he was preparing for something. 

But what?

The trio of allies feel silent as they watched the Emperor approach Krennic and his companions, who all feel to their knees in a bow. 

Palpatine approached them, then gestured with his hand for them to rise. 

Across the now silent hanger bay, Thrawn could hear the discussion going on. 

“My Lord, work on the battle station is still fully underway, and everything will be in place for the meeting.” Krennic spoke, desperately trying to impress the Emperor. 

“Excellent work Director. And what of the recent installation I asked you to make?”

The question was cryptic, but Thrawn now knew what the Emperor was referring to.

The synthetic kyber crystal at the heart of the station. 

“My Lord, we have installed the artefact as requested, however we seem to be lacking something to activate it.” Krennic spoke again, slight trepidation in his voice. 

Tarkin then chose to interrupt. “The power source of this station might not be powerful enough to get maximum yield from the weapon my Lord. Perhaps a new approach?”

The Emperor shook his head in decline before speaking again. “No Grand Moff, I have the vital component missing in my possession. Tell me Krennic, have you run the appropriate tests yet?”

Krennic nodded, before gesturing to Galen Erso beside him. 

“Yes my Lord. Our resident expert in this field has been working diligently to ensure your vision becomes a reality.”

Beside Krennic, Thrawn believed he saw Erso look incredibly uncomfortable with what was happening. 

If he was being honest, Thrawn too was uncomfortable. Krennic had not revealed to him exactly what the weapon was designed to do, only that it was unlike anything that had ever been invented before.

“I would like to inspect your work then Erso. Please, lead the way.” The Emperor spoke directly to Erso gesturing towards the door in the process. 

It was clear that the ceremony for the Emperor’s arrival was over. 

That was until a TIE interceptor came screeching into the hanger bay, landing before them and ignoring the ceremony transpiring before them. 

Thrawn had a feeling he knew who the pilot was. 

As the hatch into the cockpit opened, Thrawn watched as a familiar figure jumped out of the fighter, and began to make his way over to the Emperor, who had turned by this point to watch the approaching figure. 

His armour was badly burnt and broken in some places, much different from when Thrawn had last seen him. Clearly something had happened on his mission that had gone horribly wrong for him. 

As the figure approached the Emperor, he called out in frustration and anger. 

“Would you look what the Jedi did to me?!”

Silence once again feel over the hanger bay, everyone present watching the confrontation between the Emperor and the Eighth Brother. 

“Inquisitor. Did you succeed in eliminating the Jedi threat?” The Emperor spoke calmly, despite the scene before him. 

The Eighth Brother replied immediately. “No Lord Sidious, the Jedi escaped. There were… unforeseen complications.”

Thrawn braced himself for the Emperor to lash out in anger at the Inquisitor. He may not like the Terrelian, especially after discovering his deception, but that didn’t mean he wanted him to be killed before everyone for one failure. 

But rather than snap, the Emperor merely huffed and spoke again, disdain in his voice. “Then there is room for improvement Inquisitor.”

After speaking, the Emperor turned on his heel, and made to follow Erso and Krennic, leaving the Inquisitor by himself, who seemed to snarl beneath is mask quietly, before storming off himself. 

Thrawn watched as everyone else began to disperse, before an idea formed in his head. He needed to visit the Chimaera to get something from his quarters, and then…

“Governor Pryce, would you please tell the Inquisitor that I wish to speak to him privately.”

******************************************************************************************************************************************

The Eighth Brother mumbled to himself as he made his way to Thrawn’s quarters. Apparently, in his absence, the Chiss had discovered something that he wanted to share, at least according to Governor Pryce he did. 

The Eighth Brother chuckled to himself at the thought of Thrawn still searching for the truth about the Death Star. It would only be a matter of time until the Emperor discovered what the Grand Admiral was up to. And then Thrawn would be screwed. 

Stopping outside the door of Thrawn’s quarters, the Inquisitor breathed deeply, centring himself and portraying a façade of ally, and entered. 

The room was dark, only one light was on, and Thrawn stood facing his desk, a datapad in his hands. 

“Inquisitor, good to see you have returned. How was your mission?”

The Eighth Brother blinked in surprise. Why was Thrawn being polite?

“Bridger was there, as well as a few dozen Acklay. The Jedi got away with some explosives unfortunately.”

Thrawn nodded, before placing the datapad down on the desk, still facing away from the Inquisitor. 

“A shame, but that is not why I have requested your presence. I have done some research into the supposed kyber crystal at the heart of this station.”

The Eighth Brother nodded, remembering his fake out earlier on. 

“And what have you found Admiral?” The Eighth Brother inquired. 

“For starters, I have discovered that you already knew about them!”

The Eighth Brother froze as Thrawn span, blaster in his hand, aiming directly at the Inquisitor. He wouldn’t have the time to draw his lightsaber and deflect before Thrawn could fire off a blast or two, so he was trapped. 

But he could still use the force!

The Eighth Brother focused, and tried to reach into the force, but found that he couldn’t. Something was blocking him from manipulating it.

“What the…?” The Terrelian spoke, confusion in his voice. 

Out of the corner of his eye, the Inquisitor spotted movement. A small lizard like creature emerged from behind Thrawn’s desk, and the Chiss bent down to pick it up, keeping his blaster trained on the Terrelian the entire time. 

“Fascinating creatures the Ysalamir. They possess a natural ability to create a bubble capable of nullifying the effects of the force, as well as your connection to it.”

The Eighth Brother sighed, resigning himself to being trapped in the room, completely at Thrawn’s mercy. 

“You are correct. I did know about the crystals prior to our discussion. What are you going to do to me Grand Admiral?” The Inquisitor spoke boldly, trying to keep fear out of his voice. 

“I want you to tell me what you are up to? Clearly you have no real loyalty to anyone but yourself!” The Chiss snarled at him, blaster still trained on his head. 

“Of course I am out for myself. And how could I trust you anyways. For all I know you are fanatically loyal to the Emperor!” The Inquisitor spoke, his arms moving to punctuate his speech. 

Thrawn’s red eyes continued to bore into the Eighth Brother’s, filling him with a sense of dread. 

Was Thrawn going to kill him?

“This weapon is clearly being designed to do more damage than it does good Thrawn, even you can tell that. It’s better off in the hands of someone other than the Emperor, someone like you. Besides, I am the only one who you can truly trust here.”

Thrawn’s eyes seemed to become brighter at the Inquisitor’s statement, before he spoke again. 

“I have no desire to rule this station. And what makes you think I can trust only you?”

The Eighth Brother had thought long and hard about this, and truth be told he regretted deceiving the Grand Admiral. Despite his ruthlessness, Thrawn knew right from wrong, and he was more alike with the Inquisitor than any other member of the crew. 

“When this station is complete, what do you think the Emperor will do with it? Destroy the rebellion… no question. But then what? How long before he turns it on the various non-human worlds? How long before he attacks the Chiss homeworld? You can trust me Thrawn because aside from you I am the only non-human on this station in any real position of power!”

**********************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn listened to what the Eighth Brother had to say. It was true. The Empire was dominated by humans, and it was no secret that many of the leaders held anti-alien tendencies. Thrawn was lucky enough to ascend the ranks quickly, but that still didn’t stop other leaders from criticising him due to his alien heritage. 

And aside from the various alien slaves that the Empire employed, Thrawn and the Eighth Brother were the only two imperial leaders that were non-human. 

Well, aside from Mas Amedda that was, but he was too naïve and weak to pose any real threat. 

So what the Eighth Brother said was true. It would only be a matter of time until the Emperor turned against both him and the Eighth Brother. 

So why was he so obsessed with turning Tano to his cause? She too was an alien. 

Still, at that moment, it didn’t matter. He had to find out the full truth about this weapon. And if that meant working with someone like the Eighth Brother, then he would. 

So Thrawn lowered his blaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, smiley faces to anyone who notices the callback to one of my previous stories in this chapter.   
> Also, is it me or does every Thrawn chapter in this story start with him in the hanger bay.   
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
> Next time round, we follow Ahsoka and Kaeden on Jedha, as they hunt for Saw Gerrerra, and have a rather awkward conversation along the way.


	19. Journey across Jedha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Kaeden begin their search for Saw Gerrerra,  
> And have an awkward conversation along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So time for another two part chapter.   
> Hope you enjoy.

Jedha was a desert moon, one that merely walking across could lead to their demise. It was no nearly as bad as Tatooine was, but it would still be a pain.

And they had no real location for where Saw Gerrerra was supposed to be hiding. 

So all they could do was set the ship down, and walk. 

Standing at the bottom of the ramp of the ship, both Kaeden and Ahsoka stared across the vast wastes of Jedha. The original plan had been to land at the holy city, and search from there. The problem was that it would draw the attention of the empire, something Ahsoka wished to avoid.

So instead, Ahsoka had settled the ship down in the middle of nowhere, and opted to walk, a tracking beacon active to draw in the partisans of Saw Gerrerra. 

“This is going to suck isn’t it?” Kaeden spoke dryly, a bottle of water in both hands. 

Ahsoka nodded, accepting one of the bottles when offered to her. They would both need it to avoid dehydration.

Closing her eyes briefly, Ahsoka felt a rush of guilt at not replying verbally to Kaeden. Ever since her nightmare, and the subsequent kiss, she had avoided the dark-skinned woman. 

It wasn’t that Ahsoka didn’t feel something for Kaeden, she did. But for Ahsoka, she seemed to have the worst luck with anyone getting close to her. Every time she had allowed someone close, someone had been hurt, usually her. 

So Ahsoka didn’t want to risk that again, and she sure as hell didn’t want that to happen to her and Kaeden. She valued the woman too much. Too much to take advantage of her comforting nature again in such a way. 

Taking the first step off of the ramp and onto the sands of Jedha, Ahsoka began to walk, Kaeden following beside her. 

The heat was uncomfortable, especially for someone in armour. Ahsoka felt herself sweating under the strength of the sun. 

Kaeden was right. This would suck!

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Ten minutes of walking later, Ahsoka was beginning to think that no-one was coming to find them. She kept checking the tracking beacon, the one she hoped would draw Saw’s men out to her. It was operational, and so far no one had come. 

Beside her, Kaeden panted under the strain of the sun, before taking a brief gulp of water from her bottle. 

Ahsoka followed her friend’s example, taking a brief swig of water from her bottle, before replacing the cap and pushing forward. 

“So how exactly do you know Saw Gerrerra anyway? You never told me.”

It was clear to Ahsoka that Kaeden was trying to break the tension between them by giving them something to talk about. And honestly, Ahsoka was grateful for what she was doing. 

“I met him and his sister during the clone wars. They were trying to overthrow a corrupt monarch on Onderon, one who was in league with the Separatists. I was sent with my master, his master and Rex to train them and their guerrilla in combat.”

Kaeden didn’t respond, merely listened to the story. She was always fascinated by Ahsoka’s past, and what she had seen and done.

“They succeeded in the end, but Saw’s sister… I couldn’t save her.” Ahsoka seemed to withdraw into herself, guilt eating away at her. The death of Steela had always eaten away at Ahsoka. It was one of her greatest regrets, and it had clearly shaped the man Saw had become today. 

“It’s not your fault Ahsoka.” Kaeden spoke, once again offering comforting words.

Ahsoka froze in her spot, her shoulders slumping. 

“Yes, it is. I failed to pull her up. I wasn’t strong enough. I failed, and Saw paid the price.”

Kaeden moved swiftly, grabbing Ahsoka’s arm and pulling her to face Kaeden. The two stared at each other briefly, before Ahsoka forcefully pulled back, discomfort evident.

Kaeden felt her heart plummet. 

“Why are you avoiding me Ahsoka? Is it because of before?”

Ahsoka continued to walk, ignoring Kaeden’s questioning. 

“Ahsoka?” Kaeden tried again, following behind the Togruta woman.

Ahsoka froze on her spot, tilting her head upwards, using her montrals to listen. Something was approaching them, and it was making a strange garbled sound. One that she recognized. 

“Ahsoka seriously, we need to talk about…”

Ahsoka didn’t allow Kaeden to finish her sentence, instead she tackled the dark-skinned woman to the ground, behind a group of small rocks that lay, large enough to obstruct a figure that was laying down.

When the two hit the ground, Ahsoka held Kaeden so she would remain still, and risked a peak at what was coming. 

As if it materialized from nowhere, an imperial probe droid began to survey the area, before turning to leave in another direction. 

Clearly it hadn’t seen them, which was a good thing. 

It was then that Ahsoka realized that she was laying atop Kaeden, pinning her to the ground. 

Risking a glance down at the woman, she could have sworn she saw a blush cover her face briefly. 

Quickly realizing what had happened, Ahsoka vaulted to her feet in worry, reaching a hand down for Kaeden, who took it. 

“Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to land on top of you.” Ahsoka apologized, remorse in her voice. 

Kaeden shrugged her shoulders, the blush returning briefly. “S’ok, I didn’t mind.”

Ahsoka turned her gaze away from Kaeden, turning to look in the direction the probe had vanished in. Kaeden, once to her feet, moved to stand beside Ahsoka. 

“What was it?” The human woman asked, worry in her voice. 

“Imperial probe. Most likely looking for Saw’s men. We must be close to something.” Ahsoka replied, before turning to head in the direction she and Kaeden had previously been travelling. 

Kaeden sighed, before falling back into step with Ahsoka. 

The two walked in silence, both watching and waiting, for either another imperial probe droid, or for any sign of Saw’s partisans. 

Ahsoka seemed to be distracted, and every time Kaeden questioned what happened she seemed to avoid the line of questioning. If anything, Kaeden would say that Ahsoka was ashamed of what had happened. 

But why was she? Hadn’t it meant something to her as it had to Kaeden? 

Or perhaps there was another reason. 

Bucking up her courage, Kaeden tried one more time. 

“Look Ahsoka, I get that what happened bothered you, but please don’t block me out. Just answer one question for me, help put my mind at ease.”

Ahsoka sighed, and finally relented, though with evident restraint. 

“Fine. Ask away Kaeden?”

Taking a deep breath, Kaeden asked. 

“It is because I’m a girl too? I mean, I understand if it is. Not everyone is as open to such things like that. And if that’s why your uncomfortable I understand, and we can forget it ever happened. Just don’t shut me out Ahsoka, you’re still my friend regardless and I worry about you.”

Kaeden would be the first to admit that her speech was weird, if not clichéd as all hell. But she had to check, make sure she was not wasting her time pining after someone who wasn’t interested in her because of her gender.

Ahsoka remained silent for a few more paces, and the two continued to walk in whatever direction Ahsoka decided. 

After a few more moments, Ahsoka looked like she was about to answer Kaeden. Instead, she spoke only one word. 

“Duck!”

Kaeden did as she was told, and saw a flash of white light appear from Ahsoka as the Togruta ignited her lightsaber and swung, the sound of metal falling apart behind her. 

As Ahsoka extinguished her saber, Kaeden stood back up and turned around, looking down to the floor to see the wreckage of an imperial probe droid that had been following her.

Her eyes widening in surprise, Kaeden turned back to Ahsoka, intending on thanking her.

Instead, Ahsoka spoke first. 

“It’s not because of your gender Kaeden, nor your species. You’re perfect the way you are. It’s because of me. I hope you understand.”

Kaeden didn’t, not fully at least, but she would allow Ahsoka her answer. 

It wasn’t often that she opened up in such a way after all. 

“Ok. Thank you for answering my question Ahsoka.”

The Togruta nodded, before turning to resume walking. 

With her back turned, Kaeden allowed a smile to come to her face. 

She still had a chance after all.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Another twenty minutes of endless walking across the desert of Jedha later, something finally happened. 

As the two walked forward, a deep rumbling sound fly over them. Looking up, Ahsoka spied the familiar shape of a U-wing fly over, before circling round and landing before them. 

As the ship touched down, its side hatch opened, and a trio of figures, clearly heavily armed rebels, began to approach, blasters trained on Ahsoka and Kaeden. 

These were clearly Saw’s men.

“Ahsoka, what do we do?” Kaeden whispered from behind her, concern evident in her voice. 

There was good reason for the concern, Ahsoka thought. Saw and his men had a reputation of being extremist in nature, and were not very welcoming to outsides, especially ones that worked with Mon Mothma’s rebellion. 

That being said, Ahsoka was counting on her and Saw’s past together to get her and Kaeden a free pass. 

“Just follow my lead Kaeden. And don’t worry.”

Ahsoka stepped forward, intending on greeting the welcoming committee. She surveyed the party that approached. Three individuals, all human and all male. 

The figure she assumed to be the leader of the group spoke first. 

“Who are you? What are you doing this far out?”

Ahsoka raised her hands in a demonstration of surrender, trying to show was meant no harm.

“Agent Fulcrum of the rebellion, I’ve come to speak to Saw Gerrerra.”

The lead partisan snarled at Ahsoka. “Saw Gerrerra sees no-one from the rebellion, you coward!”

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “He’ll see me, I’m sure.”

The three partisans clearly did not appreciate Ahsoka’s insistence, as they raised their blasters at the Togruta. 

“You misunderstand Togruta. He sees no-one.”

Ahsoka had to resist the urge to reach for her lightsabers. Igniting them would only cause a scene, and possibly a battle, one she wished to avoid if she was to speak to Saw. 

The two parties engaged in a tense standoff for a few seconds, neither side relenting. 

Behind Ahsoka, Kaeden was growing worried. 

Ahsoka too was growing concerned at the standoff. She hadn’t wanted to reveal who she truly was, thus choosing to go by her codename instead. 

“Look, I don’t want to fight. I knew Saw long ago, and I’m here to request his help on a mission outside of official rebel command. You have no reason to trust me, I respect that. But it is a matter of galactic safety. Just let me speak to him.”

The three partisans all listened intently, despite their outwardly hostile demeanour. One by one they looked at one another, before signalling Ahsoka to wait where she was why they went back to the U-wing to talk. 

As the partisans departed temporarily, Kaeden walked next to Ahsoka, nudging her slightly. 

“Nice job. Think they’ll listen?”

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders in response, all the while watching where the partisans had disappeared to.

Moments later, the same three individuals came back towards them, blasters away, but something else in their hands. Ahsoka couldn’t see what they were carrying, but she had suspicion. 

“We’ll take you to our base and inform Saw Gerrerra that you wish to speak to him, however you will be detained in a holding cell until he wishes to speak to you, if he does that is.”

As the lead partisan spoke, the other two stepped forward. 

“I’m afraid you and your companion will have to wear these in the meantime.”

Behind Ahsoka, Kaeden’s eyes widened at the sight of the handcuffs present. 

Inwardly, Ahsoka smirked. The handcuffs were clearly not designed for force sensitives. She could escape if she wished to. But that would be counterproductive to the mission. 

“Very well, we submit to your requests.” Ahsoka replied, holding both hands out in front of herself to be cuffed. 

Behind her, Kaeden sighed, but did the same. 

The two handcuff wielding partisans snapped the cuffs onto the arms of the Ahsoka and Kaeden, before leading them to the U-wing. 

As they were escorted, Ahsoka gave a sheepish smile towards Kaeden, apologising for the mess they had gotten into.

Rather than shoot a dirty look at Ahsoka, Kaeden merely smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward conversations are awkward.   
> Still, I hope you liked this chapter. It was an interesting one to write, even though not much actually happens during it.   
> Next time round, Ahsoka reunites with Saw Gerrerra. But will he help her?


	20. The Extremist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Saw speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some Saw Gerrerra goodness. Hope you all like.

The cell they had been put in was dark and dank, not exactly the most hospital place Ahsoka had ever found herself. 

Still, at least she had been placed in there with Kaeden. 

Shortly after being brought aboard the U-wing, both Ahsoka and Kaeden had had bags placed over their heads, obscuring their vision. 

Well, Kaeden had. Apparently the partisans didn’t possess a bag large enough to go over Ahsoka’s montrals, which elicited some humour from the Togruta. 

That was until they had sprayed some sort spray into her eyes, distorting her vision, and causing her eyes to sting in the process. 

She had broken into a series of curses, some in Togruti, some in Mandalorian, courtesy of the clones, and some in basic.

That had got giggles out of Kaeden, who seemed surprised at Ahsoka’s temporary descent into cursive language. 

An unspecified amount of time later, the two had been dumped into the cell they had been in, and Ahsoka’s vision had returned to being clear. 

Which allowed her to see her surroundings. Judging from the cell, Saw’s base was inside some sort of rock formation. 

They had been there for over 30 minutes, and still no sign of Saw. Did he really not want to talk to her? Did he even realize who she was? 

Or had his partisans not even bothered to tell him?

If worse came to pass, she would escape the cell and find Saw herself. 

It had occurred to Ahsoka briefly after being placed in the cell that the partisans had confiscated her lightsabers. She had to get them back at the very least. 

Taking another glimpse around the cell, Ahsoka’s eyes were drawn to Kaeden, who seemed to be curled up in a corner. Shrugging off her analysis of their location, she moved to sit next to the dark-skinned woman, wrapping an arm around her back in comfort. 

“You ok Kaeden?” Ahsoka asked quietly. 

Kaeden sniffed, trying to look away from Ahsoka in vain. It was then that Ahsoka noticed tears coming down Kaeden’s face. Surprise and worry filled the Togruta, as she reached up to brush away the tears from Kaeden’s face. 

“What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?”

Kaeden shook her head, sniffing again, trying to cover her tears. 

“Kaeden, tell me what’s wrong.” Ahsoka spoke more forcefully, concern for her friend growing. 

“Just memories, from back on Raada, when I was captured by that Inquisitor.”

Memories came rushing back to Ahsoka, of finding Kaeden in a cell, twice, clearly having been tortured for information. She understood she might find similarities between now and then. 

“The Sixth Brother is dead Kaeden. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Ahsoka whispered, pulling Kaeden’s form closer to her. 

Kaeden sniffed again. “I know, it’s just hard sometimes.”

Ahsoka smiled grimly, fully understanding. Bad memories were toxic to a person, Ahsoka knew this personally. They could eat away at you from the inside. 

“You know you can talk to me anytime you like Kaeden, about anything.”

Kaeden responded by smiling, before turning her still tear-stained face towards Ahsoka’s.

“Thanks Ahsoka. It’s nice to have a big bad Jedi looking out for me.”

Ahsoka chuckled lightly, before adding, “Not a Jedi remember.”

Kaeden turned her face downwards again, upset evident. 

“You act like one sometimes.”

Surprise came to Ahsoka. Sure, she still fought in the light, but she no longer considered herself a Jedi, even if she still followed some of their ideals. That didn’t make her a Jedi… did it?

“What do you mean?” Ahsoka couldn’t help but inquire, generally interested in why Kaeden thought differently. 

Kaeden sniffed again before speaking her mind. “I mean us Ahsoka. You don’t let me close to you. You act like your trying to keep me at a distance for some reason. I figured it was to do with your Jedi code on attachment thing.”

Ahsoka released an audible sigh. She didn’t want to make this awkward, but Kaeden kept pushing and pushing for a reason. Deep down, Ahsoka knew why she kept everyone at a distance, but could she trust Kaeden?

“Ahsoka, please. Forget about what I feel for you for a second and treat me like a friend. Open up to me, prove you are no longer a Jedi.”

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka relented. Maybe, just maybe she could trust Kaeden.

“Throughout my life I’ve had difficulty trusting people. A slaver tried to take me from my home when I was young, and then the Jedi found me. They raised me, taught me, and I thought they valued me. But then they betrayed, sold me out to maintain their image. And then my master, the man I trusted and respected. One of the two people who didn’t abandon me betrayed everyone, killed hundred in the temple, and killed children!”

Kaeden listened as Ahsoka poured her heart out. Over a decade worth of grief and despair, as well as loss was coming out in one speech. Kaeden held Ahsoka as she spoke, offering nothing by her comfort, 

“And then, he killed his own wife, the only other person who didn’t abandon me. In the end, he destroyed everything, and I was left with nothing. That is why I don’t let people close Kaeden. They either abandon me, betray me, or die, and I can’t let that happen to you.”

Kaeden was both touched and shocked by Ahsoka’s admission. It was clear that Ahsoka cared for Kaeden, she just wasn’t willing to risk her own happiness for what could turn into despair. 

And Kaeden understood, truly. After losing her parents at a young age, she had retreated into herself, Miara becoming her only real company. 

But she had eventually come out of her shell, thanks to her friends. So why wouldn’t Ahsoka?

“What about the Ghost crew? They haven’t betrayed you.” Kaeden spoke.

Ahsoka nodded in agreement, but then her head drooped slightly as she continued. “True, but they are their own family. I don’t wish to intrude upon that. I’m not even sure I’m welcome most days. I bring them nothing but trouble.”

Kaeden sighed internally. Ahsoka seemed adamant that she wanted to remain alone, as far away from anyone as possible. But Kaeden still had one more person to enquire about.

“Well what about Rex? He’s been with you from the start hasn’t he? He has never betrayed you right? Why don’t you tell him this stuff?”

Ahsoka was silent for a few moments, as if struggling internally. For a brief moment, Kaeden thought she had got Ahsoka with her line of questioning. 

Then Ahsoka replied. 

“Except that he has, in a way. When I was falsely accused of terrorism and went on the run, he was the one to put out the call to hunt me down. And when I was incarcerated, he sat back like the rest and did nothing to help prove my innocence. I may have forgiven him for it, but I haven’t forgotten. Nor will I.”

At the end of her speech, Ahsoka seemed to sink into herself in despair at describing her oldest friend in such a way. 

Kaeden noted internally that she would have to speak to Rex about it later, and demand answers.

But right now, Ahsoka needed her. 

“I won’t abandon you. I won’t betray you. And I won’t die Ahsoka. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.” Kaeden spoke softly, her eyes meeting Ahsoka’s. 

Ahsoka stared back, a myriad of emotions in them. Fear, loss and pain, as well as compassion and love. 

“You can’t promise me that Kaeden, please don’t promise me that.”

Kaeden smiled, not breaking eye contact. 

“Tough. I can and I will. And unlike the others, I mean it.”

Ahsoka allowed a small smile to cover her face at Kaeden’s insistence. 

The two woman remained in the same position for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes, before Kaeden began to lean forward. 

Despite her internal conflict and reservations about everything, Ahsoka found herself leaning forward too. 

Their lips were only centimetres apart before a voice interrupted them. 

“Well well, look who we have here. Commander Tano, it has been too long.”

Ahsoka broke away from Kaeden instantly, her eyes moving to the figure that had appeared at the doors to the cell. 

He was tall, with a scraggy beard and hair, and wore armour that clearly covered his body. On first glance, Ahsoka had no idea who this was, or how they knew her. 

But as she looked closer she recognized the smirk he had on his face. It was the same look he had years ago on Onderon, when she had taught him how to oppose the droids of the Confederacy. 

Time had clearly worn on him, but he was still Saw Gerrerra. 

“Saw, it’s good to see you again.” Ahsoka spoke compassionately, moving towards the door of the cell, a smile on her face also. 

Saw nodded, before turning to press several buttons that lowered the door into the cell, allowing Ahsoka out. 

“When they told me that a Togruta woman with lightsabers had been brought in and wished to talk to me, I knew it had to be you. I wasn’t sure you survived old friend, but I’m glad you did.”

To her surprise, Saw moved forward, offering a hand to her, which she accepted, shaking it readily. 

“I believe these belong to you? Sorry for the reception you and your companion received.” Saw continued, holding out Ahsoka’s lightsabers to her, which the Togruta accepted. 

Behind her, Kaeden rose from her position, moving towards the two friends. 

“It’s no worry Saw. I know you need to be careful at the moment. This is Kaeden Larte. Kaeden, this is Saw Gerrerra.”

Kaeden nodded, flashing a smile at Saw in greeting, to which Saw moved towards the dark-skinned woman, taking her hand in his and bowing to kiss the back of her hand in a welcoming gesture.

“A pleasure my lady, any friend of Ahsoka’s is a friend of mine. Now come, let us eat and talk.” Saw finished, stepping away from the two woman and leading them out of the cell.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Suffice to say, Saw had prepared a feast for them, with a wide variety of foods. Ahsoka had to say she was surprised. She not expecting such a warm welcome. 

The three sat down in Saw’s command centre, each choosing vastly different foods to consume. 

Kaeden chose a Meiloorun Pie, crafted from the fruit mixed with pastry. 

Saw seemed to be eating some sort of waffle, one that was freshly cooked and seemed to be bathed in some sort of syrup. 

Ahsoka meanwhile, being the only carnivore of the group, chose the meat. A nice fat leg of bantha meat to be precise. Not the most appetising, but it would suit her just fine.

As the three ate, Ahsoka looked over at Saw. He was clearly older now, various scars and wrinkles covered his face, indicating that he had seen battle. 

And now she had to convince him to join her suicide mission.

‘This will be fun.’

Swallowing her current mouthful of food, Ahsoka began to speak…

Except that to her surprise, Saw suddenly broke out into a coughing fit. It only lasted a few seconds, but afterwards Ahsoka could have sworn she heard him wheezing slightly. 

Kaeden beat her to the question that came to mind. “Are you ok?”

Saw waved Kaeden off with his hand before replying. “Yeah, just a cough. Think I caught something back on Geonosis.”

Memories of a report from Hera flashed in Ahsoka’s mind. She knew the crew of the Ghost had encountered Saw previously. Clearly his time on Geonosis had some negative effect on his health. 

“Now, what is it you wished to speak to me about Ahsoka?” Saw brushed off any further concern, getting back into the reason why Ahsoka was present. 

Clearing her throat, Ahsoka began to speak. 

“I’ve got a mission, a dangerous one, and I need your help. The Emperor is using kyber crystals to build some sort of superweapon, one capable of destroying planets. We’re going to destroy it.”

Saw’s eyes lit up at the mention of kyber crystals. 

“I knew it! I knew they were doing something with the crystals! That’s why I’m here. The Empire has been excavating some from the holy city here of Jedha, and I’ve been trying to find out why. Now I know.”

Saw seemed almost fanatical in his discovery, as if he had finally got all the answers he sought. 

“That’s not all. The station that they are building is where the next ‘Meeting of the Moffs’ is being held. We intend to strike then, and eliminate the entire imperial leadership in one move.” Ahsoka continued, before taking another bite out of her meat.

“This is too good to be true. Who else is coming along?” Saw inquired, clearly interested. Ahsoka could tell he was already sold on the mission, now he just wanted to know more about who else was coming. 

“So far, the crew of the Ghost is coming with me. They are currently out asking more people if they will come along. I thought of you, so I decided to ask.” Ahsoka replied, reaching over to take a sip of a drink she had nearby. It was only water, but it felt good as she swallowed it. 

“The Ghost team? Good. Rex as well I take it? What’s Mon Mothma’s opinion on this?” Saw continued, a slightly harsh edge to his voice at the mention of Mothma. 

“She opposed the idea, even put me on forced leave because I snapped at them. But I’m going through with it regardless. I thought you of all people would understand.”

Saw chuckled, before reaching across to grab his own drink, taking a large gulp in the process. 

“Mon Mothma would rather debate politics all day than actually do anything. Of course I understand. And I’m with you, consequences be damned.” 

Ahsoka allowed a smile to cover her face. “Thank you Saw. I’ll give you coordinates for where we plan to meet beforehand.”

Saw nodded. “Much appreciated Commander. It’s good to be working with you again.”

Ahsoka nodded in reply, going back to eating her food. The three settled into a companionable silence as they ate, enjoying the calm before the storm. 

*************************************************************************************************************************

Night fell on Jedha quickly, much to the surprise of Ahsoka. She and Kaeden had intended to set out for Raada after the meal, but night brought about danger of Jedha, so Saw had offered them a place to stay for the night. 

Kaeden had accepted, and had already gone to bed. 

Ahsoka meanwhile had not, instead she stood looking out of a window, down into the darkness below that was Jedha. 

Behind her, she felt movement. The force did not scream in danger or alarm, so she wasn’t under attack. 

Moments later, Saw appeared by her side. 

“It’s far more beautiful when you can see out of it.”

Ahsoka chuckled at Saw’s dry tone. He was clearly making a joke. 

“Yeah. Don’t really know why I was doing it.” She replied, equally dry in tone. 

Saw chuckled again, before breaking down into another coughing fit. Ahsoka reached her hands out to steady the male, balancing him from the heavy coughs racking his body. 

When he finally stopped, he stood back up. 

“You sure you’re ok Saw?” Ahsoka enquired. Saw nodded, brushing off the concern. Ahsoka would admit she was worried about it, but if Saw said he was ok, then he was. 

Silence filled the air for a few seconds, before Saw spoke again, humour and teasing in his voice. 

“So back on Onderon, was it actually Bonteri you were making googly eyes at, or my sister?”

Ahsoka turned rapidly, mortified at what Saw had said. Saw meanwhile had a large smirk on his face, clearly enjoying his teasing. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Ahsoka lied. 

Saw clearly did not buy it. “I saw you and Kaeden in that cell. You were awful close. Just wondering is all, since you seemed to have your eyes glued to Bonteri in the past.”

Ahsoka shook her head in humour, to which Saw laughed, nudging her with his elbow gently. 

“Have you heard from Lux recently?” Ahsoka asked, changing the discussion as best she could. She had to admit she was worried about her old friend. Despite everything, Lux had shown her a new side to the world that not everything was in black and white as she used to believe. There was a shades of grey everywhere, and she lived in them nowadays. 

“He’s around. Married an imperial from what I last heard. But he serves the alliance in secret.” Saw spoke with a strangely kind tone. Perhaps he had Lux had found common ground after Onderon. 

“Good. I’m glad.” Ahsoka replied, her gaze shifting back to the darkness outside. 

Silence filled their company yet again, before Saw spoke once more, remorse in his tone. 

“I never blamed you you know, about Steela. I know I was distant afterwards, but I never blamed you.”

Ahsoka felt her stomach plummet in despair. The death of Steela had haunted her for years. If only she had been faster, stronger, she could have saved her. 

But she didn’t, and Saw had paid for it. 

“It’s ok if you did Saw. I’ve never forgiven myself for it.”

Saw’s reply was instantaneous. “You should forgive yourself. I have. And she would have too.”

Saw had become surprisingly wise and compassionate, Ahsoka found. A stark contrast to what all reports said he was like. 

In the end, Ahsoka was glad. She could still rely on Saw, despite everything that had happened between them.

“I’m going to get some rest. Make sure you do too Ahsoka.” Saw said, gently patting Ahsoka’s shoulder, before turning to depart. 

As Saw left, Ahsoka closed her eyes and reached deep into the force. 

She didn’t want to sleep, not after last time, but she knew she would need it. 

But for now, she would meditate. 

Sitting down, crossing her legs in the process, Ahsoka delved deep into mediation. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Morning broke over Jedha, and Ahsoka found that she had at some point fallen asleep mid-meditation. 

Standing from her position, she heard a faint beeping with her montrals. 

Glimpsing down at her comm link, she found it was flashing, indicating that someone had left a message for her. 

The message consisted of two parts. A set of coordinates, as well as a recorded voice message.

Furrowing her eyes in confusion, Ahsoka pressed play on the message. 

The voice that came through was instantly familiar.

“Lady Tano, I have discovered something that will be of great interest to you. Meet us at these coordinates as soon as you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the team Saw Gerrerra. Try not to get out of hand yeah?  
> Now, before we go any further... Rex fans, please don't kill me for what I wrote in this chapter. It wasn't done maliciously, but merely from an interesting standpoint. I don't think I have ever seen any other fanfic author address the fact that Rex did not actively support Ahsoka when she was on the run. Sure, he believed her to be innocent, but unlike Anakin and Padme, Rex helped about as much as the Jedi Council did. To be honest, it is part of the reason why I question the whole Rex and Ahsoka being super close friends thing, but that is just my interpretation, and I wanted to look into that. No doubt some Rex fans are sharpening their pitchforks and polishing their blasters to come after me right now, and I say, 'Come and Get Me!'
> 
> Next time round, it's the moment you have all been waitng for it seems, as Maul heads to LOCATION REDACTED to recruit NAME REDACTED for the mission. Also, word of warning, next chapter will be like marmite for many. You will either love it, or hate it.


	21. Enemy of my Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maul travels to where it all began to recruit the only person in the universe who might possibly help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter has been anticipated by many. I hope you like it.

There was nothing around him, aside from the sand. The desert was merciless, it took everything from people. 

And for some reason, Maul once again found himself wandering the vast endless deserts of Tatooine, in search for the man he would call his mortal enemy. 

Last time round, he was fully committed to killing him when he found him. That was until Lady Tano intervened.

Lady Tano. She was something alright. If someone had told Maul when he was starting out that one day his closest confidant would be a former Jedi, then he would have laughed in their face before cleaving them in two with his saber. 

But now? Things were different. 

Sure, he could argue that his alliance with Lady Tano was purely one of convenience. They were both priority targets for the empire, and both had personal grudges against Sidious. 

But in spending time with her, listening to her, Maul had found something he had sought all his life. 

Someone who was willing to listen. Someone he could trust. 

At one point, despite his attitude towards him, Maul had thought that his brother, Savage would fill that void. But then Sidious had taken Savage from him.

And Maul had been left alone again. Even at the end of the clone wars, when he had desperately tried to hold control of Mandalore, he was still alone. 

And so he had sought to find a purpose in his life, and that had been to find and kill Kenobi.

But when he had found Kenobi, Lady Tano had stopped him. Offered to help him, to be everything he wanted. And he had accepted.

He still hated Kenobi, still had to refrain from coming back to kill him. But Maul liked to think he had changed. 

But when the Togruta had begun assembling a team to take down the Emperor, Maul knew they would need help against Sidious, and Kenobi also had reason to want the man dead.

So, despite his lingering hatred towards Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul had travelled back to Tatooine in hopes of finding him and asking him to help. It was unlikely that the Jedi master would ever help him with anything, but Maul hoped that he would be willing to help their mutual friend. 

Upon landing on the surface of Tatooine, Maul had reached deep into the force, searching for any presence of Kenobi. The man swam in the lightside of the force, and while Maul did not, he knew how to detect it. 

During his time with the rebels, Maul had picked up more talents in the force. He was still a creature of the dark, despite not calling himself a Sith, but his exposure to individuals such as Kanan and Ezra had helped him understand both sides of the force better. 

So he reached into it, trying to find some sort of lightside presence, and send it a message through the force. If the presence accepted the message, and offered their location, then Maul would head to it. If not, then they clearly did not want to be disturbed. At least this time, he was not forcing Kenobi to meet him, he was giving the Jedi the chance to say no. 

Yet somehow, miraculously, the lightside presence he did detect responded, an image being sent back of a small hut in the middle of nowhere. 

Using the force as a guide, Maul had set off on foot in that direction, walking for over an hour before something came into view, something that was not just flat plains of sand. 

The hut from the image he was sent. This must be where Kenobi was. 

Kenobi! The man that ruined everything! He could end him here and now! He could…

NO! That was not why he was here! He had risen above that now. He was stronger. 

Taking a deep breath, Maul began to walk towards the hut, each step drawing him closer and closer to Kenobi. 

Before he knew it, he was at what he presumed to be the front door. 

Taking another breath, Maul let out a sigh, before raising his hand and knocking on the door three times.

‘Since when was I so polite?’ Maul thought, as he waited for an answer. 

The seconds passed by slowly, anxiety kicking in for Maul. Was this hut not where he was supposed to go?

And then the door opened, and a voice spoke. 

“Hello there.”

Maul very nearly snarled. He very nearly ignited his lightsaber. He very nearly relapsed back into his old ways. 

But rather than doing so, he closed his eyes, took yet another deep breath, and reopened them. 

Before him, was Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man responsible for his condition. The man he so hated with every inch of his body. The man he had wanted to kill for so long!

Sighing again, Maul spoke. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Obi-Wan’s face remained stoic, betraying no emotion as to how he was feeling. Nor did his force signature. 

Maul waited, expecting to be turned away. But instead, Kenobi stepped back from the door, gesturing for Maul to enter. 

Rather than question, Maul did so, moving past Kenobi and entering where the man had clearly been living since the fall of the republic.

The room was somewhat empty, a few crates of materials and supplies were around, enough to ensure Kenobi’s survival, but the room was still sparse. Maul knew that Jedi did not own many possession, minus their lightsaber. Clearly, Kenobi had continued that ideal even after the end of the Jedi Order. 

But right now, he was not here to ogle Kenobi’s home. He had a purpose. 

Turning to face Kenobi, he spotted the man moving over to what Maul assumed was a kitchen. Maul watched as Kenobi took out a small cup, before seemingly pour a sizable amount of water into it, before heading over to Maul and gesturing for the Zabrak to take it. 

Maul’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“Drink this. You’ll need it after walking across the desert.”

Maul hesitated. ‘Is it poisoned? Had Kenobi stooped that low?’

But Obi-Wan did not relent, he merely held the cup out to Maul. The Zabrak had to admit, the liquid looked good. 

So despite his reservations, Maul took the cup offered, and gulped the water down faster than he should. 

As he felt the liquid enter his system, Maul spoke.

“Thank you.”

Kenobi nodded in acknowledgement, before taking the cup back to the kitchen to fill it up again. 

Maul would not usually be so polite, but after a run in with the rather rude and obnoxious astromech that Hera Syndulla owned, he had adopted the phrase. He had not given his gratitude to the droid once for bringing him something, and Chopper had not taken it very well, covertly deactivating the mechanism of his cybernetic legs whilst Maul slept. 

Suffice to say, Maul did not have a good time when he woke up. 

Kenobi returned again, once more offering a cup of water to Maul, who readily accepted it. This time round, Maul did not gulp it all down, but slowly sipped it, savouring the taste. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Kenobi questioned, his eyes burning into Maul’s. 

It occurred to Maul that while Kenobi had welcomed him, he was still being cautious. Maul could respect that. 

Finishing off his water, and placing the cup back into Kenobi’s waiting hand, Maul spoke one name. 

“Ahsoka.”

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed in concern. “What about her? Is she ok?”

“She’s fine Kenobi, but in need of help. We’ve uncovered information about a weapon that can destroy planets, and Lady Tano wants to destroy it. She’s forming a team to attack it despite rebel command saying otherwise.”

Maul had practised what he was going to say. While most people would have been swayed by the planet destroying threat, Maul knew that Kenobi would not. He clearly had a reason for being on Tatooine, one that he would not abandon for anything less than vital. 

Kenobi’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the battle station, but did not seem too fussed. 

“So, why are you here then and not with her?” Kenobi inquired. 

“Because she intends the face the Emperor, who will be there at the same time. She cannot do it alone. We need your help Obi-Wan.”

Internally, every darkside aspect of Maul was screaming at him for asking a Jedi for help. He should destroy Kenobi. 

But he restrained himself. They needed Kenobi if they were to survive. 

“I can’t leave Maul. I need to stay here.”

Maul sighed, he had expected this. But he still had one more trick up his sleeve. 

“Sidious is trying to turn her.”

That got Obi-Wan’s attention. His face was suddenly full of grief, as if remembering some old wound. Maul could guess what it was, but he wouldn’t bring it up. 

“She won’t turn!” Kenobi spoke, almost in a snarl, one that surprised Maul. 

Sighing, Maul replied. “Everyone can be turned Kenobi, it takes only the right amount of pressure. Lady Tano currently sits on the edge of balance. One small shift and she could go either way. Sidious knows this, and is no doubt exploiting it. When we face Sidious, he will try to turn her once and for all. I won’t let that happen, and I know you won’t either.”

It was a risky gambit, Maul knew. But he hoped that by focusing on what Ahsoka was to Kenobi, he could gain his support. 

And it was clearly working. Through the force, Maul felt a brief stab of anger from Kenobi. Anger at Sidious, for what he had done to Anakin Skywalker, and for what he intended to do to Ahsoka Tano. 

“I understand you are here for a reason Kenobi, one that requires your utmost attention. But your grandpadawan is in grave danger. If we succeed in this mission, the Emperor will be dead and the empire will begin to crumble. But if we do not, there is a very real chance that the galaxy will fall before Sidious and his new apprentice, and she knows that you are here!”

Maul watched as he spoke, looking at Kenobi’s face as he absorbed what Maul was saying. Kenobi’s face, and specifically his eyes, were a myriad of emotions. Concern, worry, dread, fear. All unbecoming of a Jedi, but emotions that resembled a man that had lost everything. 

Virtually everything. Maul hoped that Kenobi would be willing to help, to ensure he did not lose another.

“Is she really in that much danger from herself? From him?” Kenobi asked, weakly. 

Maul nodded. The situation needed no further words. 

The two mortal enemies remained silent for several minutes. Kenobi mulling over the revelations, and Maul waiting for an answer. 

Eventually, Kenobi made some sort of gesture with his hand, as if he was trying to stop himself, and then spoke. 

“Fine. I can leave, only for a while. But if we are going to face Sidious, we are going to need more help.”

Maul breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, despite the odds, despite the age old vendetta the two had against one another, Maul had convinced Kenobi to help. 

“Excellent. So, where can we find this help you yours?” Maul spoke, enthusiasm coming to his voice now that the hard part was over.

“I’ll tell you once we reach your ship, presuming you still have one of course?”

Maul very nearly chuckled, before gesturing to the door leading back outside. If they set off now, they would make it to the Nightbrother before dark. 

“Of course. Come Kenobi, this way.”

***********************************************************************************************************************

Neither Maul nor Obi-Wan said a word on the walk back to the ship, both preferring to remain silent. It wasn’t as if they had anything to say to one another anyway. They certainly would never make polite conversation with each other, due to their pasts. 

The only reason they were working together was because they had a mutual enemy, as well as a mutual friend. 

Entering into the Nightbrother, the two unlikely comrades sat down in the cockpit. 

“So, where do we find your friend? And who exactly are we looking for?”

Maul expected Kenobi to give some mystical Jedi like response, one that didn’t answer any questions, yet somehow created more. 

So he was surprised when Kenobi gave a straight answer for once. 

“A Jedi Master, one that survived the purge. He’s faced Sidious before. He’ll help us, I hope.”

Maul’s eyes widened in surprise. Another Jedi survivor? What were the chances? 

Still, if the master in exile could help, then Maul would happily go and investigate. But he knew that Lady Tano should hear about this too. 

“I need the coordinates. I’ll get Lady Tano to meet us there.” Maul spoke. 

Kenobi nodded, reaching over to enter a series of coordinates into the navigation system of the Nightbrother. 

When done, Maul reached for his comm link, entering the same coordinates, and recording a quick voice message, before sending both off to Lady Tano. Hopefully, she would meet them there. 

Reaching out to power up the engines of the Nightbrother, Maul turned his head to Kenobi to fill him in one last piece of information. 

“Did I tell you this was a suicide mission by the way?”

Kenobi’s response almost made Maul chuckle. 

Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know some people will not like the idea of Kenobi leaving Tatooine to help Ahsoka, especially when he is supposed to be protecting Luke from the Empire. However, I hope I did a good job of giving a reason for why Kenobi has left, if only briefly. He can't stand to watch another person he cares for be corrupted by Sidious, and thus he will help.
> 
> Besides, I'm sure nothing will happen to Luke if Obi-Wan leaves for a short while.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless. Next time around, well, it should be obvious where we are heading.


	22. Caves and an Old Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka has a nasty vision.   
> And meets an old mentor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time around. Hope you like it.

Shortly after reading the message from Maul, Ahsoka and Kaeden had gotten back to their ship, courtesy of a lift from Saw, and headed to the coordinates of the planet provided by Maul. 

Saw had not come with, instead he had promised to join them at their rendezvous when the time to strike was right. And Ahsoka was inclined to believe him. Saw may be an extremist, but when push came to shove, he would always prove loyal, and there were very few people Ahsoka could trust with such an operation. 

So they had left Jedha, and a few hours later they had emerged from hyperspace over another planet, one Ahsoka had never heard of before. From orbit, it was a myriad of greys and blacks, and seemed to emanate a dark sense of foreboding. Being a force sensitive, it felt especially odd to Ahsoka, as if it was concealing something big. 

And Ahsoka was sure she was about to discover what. 

Angling the cargo freighter towards the location of Maul’s beacon, one he had set up for her in advance, Ahsoka fly the ship down through the atmosphere of the mysterious planet. As they descended, the horizon began to fill with a thick fog like substance, as well as endless lines of trees. 

The planet seemed to have a swamp like biome. Why had Maul asked them to meet him here?

In the distance, Ahsoka spotted the familiar shape of the Nightbrother, already stationary on the ground in a slightly open area. Standing at the bottom of the ramp to the ship was Maul, who upon hearing the approaching ship looked up and waved them down. 

Landing the ship next to Maul’s, Ahsoka and Kaeden stood from their seats, heading towards the back ramp of their freighter. 

Exiting their ship, they were greeted by the red and black horned visage of Maul, who open seeing them smiled. 

Ahsoka would never get used to Maul actually smiling at her. It was strange to see. 

“Lady Tano, Miss Larte, how good to see you. I trust your missions were a success?”

Approaching the Zabrak, Ahsoka allowed a small smile to come to her face. She had successfully recruited Saw, but Vos’ decision seemed to have been final. Only time would tell. 

“Fifty fifty Maul. Saw is in, the Jedi… maybe not.” 

Maul huffed in response, seemingly disappointed at the lack of another Jedi ally. 

“What about you? Did you find your friend?” Ahsoka inquired, genuinely curious as to who Maul had been to speak to.

Maul seemed to shrink in on himself suddenly. It was almost as if he was embarrassed about something.

“Maul, what did you do?” Kaeden inquired from behind, apprehension in her voice. 

The Zabrak shrugged his shoulders, before pointing a hand at the ramp leading into the Nightbrother, just as someone began to walk down the ramp.

Suddenly, a familiar presence lit up in the force to Ahsoka. It was warm and welcoming, a clear opposite to that of Maul’s presence, even now. In fact, it felt a lot like…

“Obi-Wan?!”

“Hello my grandpadawan. I hear you need help.”

Ahsoka did not refrain herself. She stormed across the distance between them, wrapping the older man into a hug. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be protecting Luke!

Pulling back from the hug, Ahsoka locked her eyes with Obi-Wan’s. The Jedi master had a warm look in them.

“What are you doing here? I thought that you had to stay on Tatooine?” Ahsoka voiced her concerns. 

“The best way to protect Luke and Leia now is to rid the galaxy of Sidious once and for all. Together, we can do that. He’ll be fine for a while.” Kenobi responded, a calculating tone in his voice. 

Of all the people in the galaxy, Maul had gone to speak to his mortal enemy, hadn’t killed him, or died by his hands, and then recruited him for a suicide mission despite Kenobi’s prior obligations. 

Ahsoka had to say, she was impressed. 

Taking a step back from Obi-Wan, Ahsoka smiled. To say she was happy was an understatement. If Obi-Wan wanted to help, she wouldn’t stop him. 

“I’m glad you’re here Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan smiled again. “As am I Ahsoka.”

It was then that Ahsoka heard a fake cough behind her. Allowing a sly smile to come to her face she turned to face Kaeden, who seemed to be waiting with some sort of expectation. 

“Kaeden Larte, this is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He trained my master. Obi-Wan, this is Kaeden Larte. She helped me after Order 66.” Ahsoka made the introductions, making sure to introduce both with positive images. 

Obi-Wan spoke first. “A pleasure. Thank you for looking after Ahsoka for me. She is clearly in good company.”

Kaeden blushed at the compliment, before regaining her composure. “Thank you Master Jedi. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

Maul chose that moment to interrupt. “So, why exactly are we here Kenobi?”

Ahsoka noted the way Obi-Wan flinched at the way Maul said his name. The Jedi master was clearly not yet used to working with his enemy. Still, if she knew Obi-Wan, in time, he would attempting to sass the Zabrak. 

Ahsoka suspected that Maul would not appreciate that. 

The elder Jedi turned slightly, pointing a direction with his hand. Ahsoka took a glance at where Kenobi was pointing. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than trees and fog, as well as swamp land. 

But at another glance, Ahsoka saw something, hidden beneath the trees. 

A cave.

“If we are to speak to the person who lives here, you must enter the cave Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan spoke, as wise as the days of the republic. 

Ahsoka had to admit, the idea of entering the dark cave before her unnerved her slightly. The whole area was creepy, and the force was clouded around her, as if concealing something. 

But she trusted Obi-Wan. If she had to enter the cave, she would. 

“Well, let’s go then.” Ahsoka spoke, leading the way. 

“No, you must go alone.” Obi-Wan interrupted, foreboding in his voice. 

Now Ahsoka certainly didn’t like this. But she didn’t seem to have a choice. 

Sighing, she continued forward, until a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 

Ahsoka gasped as she was pulled into an embrace by Kaeden, who seemed to be equally concerned about the situation. 

“Be careful.” Kaeden spoke, a commanding tone in her voice. 

Ahsoka chuckled lightly, returning the offered embrace. 

“I promise.”

Pulling back from the hug, Ahsoka turned her head to nod at Maul, who in turn nodded back, understanding in his eyes, and then turned back around, and headed into the cave.

************************************************************************************************************

The cave was dark, as was expected of a cave, but something in the force was wrong with it. As if it was being manipulated by some sort of entity. 

The foreboding atmosphere Ahsoka had felt earlier seemed to treble, a sense of danger being predominant in her feelings. 

The area around her reminded Ahsoka of her dreams, of the nightmares were she had to endlessly wander a forest, listening to the voices of the deceased. 

The whole place was wrong. Yet something pushed Ahsoka forward. Whoever Obi-Wan wanted to meet was apparently through the cave. 

So the Togruta continued to push forward, deeper into the cave. She pushed past vines that fell from the roof, and stepped through the damp soil, her feet sinking slightly. 

‘I’m gonna have to clean my boots after this!’ Ahsoka thought humorously for a second, before her montrals suddenly picked up movement. 

Something was moving in front of her, hidden in the shadows of the cave. Was it the person Obi-Wan wanted to meet with?

Reaching into the force, Ahsoka felt a new signature, one that was familiar to her in some way, but also corrupted by the darkside. 

It was cold, colder than any signature she had ever felt, par Sidious’. 

And the strange familiarity to it made her fear it. 

Then, another presence appeared in the force, this one lighter, yet equally familiar. 

But unlike the corrupted presence, she could tell who this was in a second. 

“Impossible!” Ahsoka whispered in dread. She could already tell what was about to happen. 

Then, a voice echoed through the caves. 

“Ahsoka. Why did you leave me?”

A figure appeared before her, walking out from the shadows to face her. 

“I stood by you Ahsoka, when everyone abandoned you. Why did you leave?”

Ahsoka felt bile grow in her stomach as she recognized the figure before her. His brown hair, his tall broad figure, the scar over his eye. 

And his eyes in general. They were blue. 

“Anakin?” Ahsoka whispered, horrified at the image before her. 

“That’s right my padawan. Have you missed me?” The image of Anakin Skywalker spoke, nothing but love and compassion in his voice. 

Ahsoka took a step backwards. 

“No, you are dead. You became a monster.”

The image of Anakin seemed shocked, as if he was actively responding to Ahsoka’s comment. As if he was right there with her. 

And that was the worst part of it all. Anakin was dead. So how could he be here now?

“Dead? I’m not dead Snips. I’ll never leave you.” The image of Anakin spoke again, still compassion, lacking any resemblance to Vader. 

Despite the force screaming danger at her, Ahsoka reached a hand out for her master. The image responded in kind, reaching his own hand, his flesh one, out to her. 

For a few brief moments, it appeared that master and padawan would be able to touch once more. Ahsoka wanted nothing more than to fall into his comforting embrace, as she had when she was a child. Anakin had always been her safety net in times of great struggle. 

However, as their fingers neared, the force flared once again, and the darker presence, the one that was heavily corrupted appeared once again. 

Suddenly, the snap hiss of the lightsaber could be heard, and a pair of red blades erupted through the chest of Anakin Skywalker. 

“NO!” Ahsoka screamed, reaching forward for Anakin. The image of her master however evaporated instantly, disappearing forever. 

Blinking away the tears in her eyes, Ahsoka looked up to the figure behind where Anakin had stood, to where his murdered was. 

Instantly, she recognized the figure, and she froze in response. 

“What’s the matter Ahsoka? Scared of your future!”

It was her, the darker version of her. The one she had witnessed kill Ezra, then Rex, then Kaeden. The dark, corrupted version of the person she was. 

Ahsoka Tano, corrupted by the darkside. 

The shadow Ahsoka approached, crimson lightsabers ignited, clearly poised to strike at the real Ahsoka.

Rage built up inside of Ahsoka. This shadow was not her!

Reaching down to her waist, she gripped her lightsabers hilts, and ignited the white blades, dropping into a ready position. 

The shadow version of herself smirked darkly, evil intent evident in her eyes. 

“Finally, a challenge!”

The shadow attacked first, surprising Ahsoka with a fast barrage of strikes. Red clashed with white, much to the surprise of the real Ahsoka. Since when could visions actually touch reality?

Was this a vision? Was she the real Ahsoka?

Pivoting, the shadow tried another series of strikes, these ones aimed at Ahsoka’s legs. The Togruta jumped over the crimson blades, before unleashing a series of swings herself at the shadow.

But the shadow countered, blocking the strikes as fast as Ahsoka could send them.

Then, the shadow jumped back, before raising her hand outwards. 

Ahsoka didn’t have time to evade as a stream of force lightning came barrelling towards her, knocking her back and sending sharp pains throughout her body. 

“You are weak! I was weak! But now I am strong!” The shadow taunted, ending the lightning barrage, and attacking again. 

Ahsoka recovered from the lightning quickly, bringing her sabers up in time to block the attacks made by her shadow.

The two entered into a saber lock, pushing against one another. 

Across the red and white light, Ahsoka looked deeply into her shadow’s golden eyes. They burned with fire, with hatred.

This version of her was terrifying. 

“No, you are not me. I will never be you!” Ahsoka snarled, pushing again, breaking out of the saber lock and bringing her shoto upwards.

The blade connected with the hilt of one of the shadow’s sabers, destroying it and leaving the shadow with one lightsaber. 

“You will Ahsoka, you will. I am stronger without my so called friends. Your precious clone captain, the Jedi, the Sith pretender, all of them will betray you eventually. Most of them already have. I enjoyed killing them. Every single one, even that bitch Kaeden Larte!”

Ahsoka released a scream of pure fury, unleashing everything she had at the shadow. In doing so, she delved deep into her innate darkside, allowing her anger to guide her. 

In a furious clash of blades, Ahsoka disarmed the shadow, who fell to her knees before Ahsoka, defiance in her eyes. 

“Go on then. Do it!” The shadow taunted. It was then that Ahsoka realized she had her blade pointed right at her shadow’s heart. 

Ahsoka wanted to do it. She wanted to end this shadow. 

But by doing so, she knew she would be doing it out of hatred. 

When she had killed Vader, she had done so not out of hatred, but for the good of the galaxy.

Now however, she was faced with what she assumed was a vision of herself, one that did not truly exist. If she killed the shadow, she would be doing it out of hatred. 

She would be no better than the Sith. 

Taking a breath, Ahsoka extinguished her blades, stepping back from the shadow. 

Expecting something to happen, Ahsoka was not surprised when the shadow of herself simply disappeared before her, leaving her in the dark cave alone. 

Falling to her knees in despair, Ahsoka clutched her head, feeling a headache coming on. 

She sat in silence for what seemed like a few hours, but was in truth a few seconds, before a familiar voice echoed through the cave. 

“Strong with the force, you have become. A powerful Jedi you would have become. An equally powerful Sith you could be.”

Shock filled Ahsoka at hearing a voice she had not heard in years. It couldn’t be…

“Master Yoda?” Ahsoka called out, recognizing the familiar broken style of speech the old Jedi used. 

“Tell me, why resist your darker side, did you?”

Yoda had always been cryptic at the best of times. If Ahsoka was to guess, she would assume that somehow, Yoda had influenced the vision she had just experienced as a test of some kind, to determine whether or not she was worth talking to.

“Because that’s not who I am master.” Ahsoka replied, seemingly speaking to a voice in her head. 

“Hmmm, then who are you?” The voice of Yoda replied, patience present.

Ahsoka had thought long and hard about who she was now. About what she represented. 

She was no Jedi, she was adamant about that. But she was no Sith either. 

And despite what the Jedi had warned her about in the past, Ahsoka had found a middle path to walk. It was not a line of neutrality, like the Bendu on Atollon, but one that allowed her to exist both within the light and the dark. She belonged to no side.

Kanan was adamant in his beliefs. He was a Jedi Knight, and Ahsoka believed him. He acted the part, if not an unorthodox one at that. 

So Ahsoka had taken a leaf out of her friend’s book. Regardless of what the galaxy thought of her, she was what she said she was, opinion be damned. 

“I am Ahsoka Tano. Servant of the light, who moves in the shadows.”

Yoda seemed to chuckle at her response, but not in a condescending way. Instead, it was as if he was testing her own beliefs. 

“Move in the shadows you do, but refuse the dark? Why? Makes you more powerful, the darkside, does it not?” Yoda questioned, forcing Ahsoka to doubt her own words. 

In some aspect it was true. One Sith Lord was the equivalent of many Jedi. It had only taken the manipulations of one Sith to destroy the entirety of the Jedi order. 

But at the same time the darkside made one vulnerable. They were often arrogant, so focused on achieving their goals that they were unable to see what was right in front of them. 

Sidious seemed to be the exception to that rule, or at least Ahsoka thought. Surely he was not infallible. 

Turning her train of thought back to Yoda’s words, Ahsoka comprised her response.

“No, the darkside leaves you vulnerable to the light, as the lightside does to the dark. Only by achieving balance, by walking a path in the middle, can one find true success.”

If fourteen year old Ahsoka could see her now, she was sure she would mock her older self for the very cryptic and Jedi like answer she had just produced. Hell she was sure Anakin would have mocked her for it as well. 

But Ahsoka no longer cared what others thought of her path. It was hers to walk. And she walked it with pride. 

“Balance you say. Hmmm, achieved it yet, you have not?”

Ahsoka felt a brief twinge of anger build up within her at Yoda’s doubts. 

“Strike down your old master you did. Why, out of anger? Vengeance?”

Ahsoka blinked once before replying. “He was a threat to the galaxy. I saved many lives by doing so.”

Yoda continued from that point. 

“Saved many, you did. But why, not strike down your shadow?”

Ahsoka released a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding, and answered. 

“Because I don’t kill in anger. That is a tenant of the darkside.”

Yoda replied instantly. “A practise of the Jedi, that is. But no longer a Jedi, you said you were.”

That was true, Ahsoka had said that, many times in fact. 

“I may no longer be a Jedi, but I hold many of their teachings sacred. They guide me on my path.” Ahsoka replied honestly. She could not easily forget what she had learned in her youth. It had been ingrained into her from such a young age. It was as much a part of her as her montrals were. 

“Neither Jedi nor Sith you claim to be, but use teachings of both you do. Opened a Sith holocron you did!” Yoda spoke, his tone turning more serious at the mention of the holocron. 

“It could have provided important information to me. Help me defeat the Sith. The best way to defeat your enemy is…”

Yoda interrupted. “Understand them yes. Correct you are. Is that why you move in shadows? To understand?”

Ahsoka found herself nodding, even if Yoda was only a voice in her head. Realising what she was doing, she spoke. 

“Yes master. I use the dark to understand them. To understand how to beat them with the light.”

Yoda was silent for was few moments. Ahsoka began to think he had left her, not wanting to speak any longer. It wouldn’t surprise her. 

Then, the wise Jedi master spoke again, with an emotion that Ahsoka barely recognized in his voice. 

One of pride.

“Strong grasp of understanding you have about yourself. Sure you are?”

Ahsoka’s reply was instantaneous. “Yes Master Yoda. I am.”

Yoda chuckled again. “Servant of the light you are. Walk in the dark you do. Powerful this makes you. Dangerous too. But sense I do, that a good heart you have. Not use your power for ill, will you.”

Ahsoka allowed herself to smile, despite the current conditions of the cave she was in. 

“Thank you Master Yoda. I’m glad you understand.”

“Understand? Hmmm? Doubt understand you I ever will Ahsoka Tano. Your mission to take down the emperor? Best hope we have of ending this conflict?” Yoda spoke with humour, whilst simultaneously asking for what Ahsoka presumed was her opinion. 

“Yes master. If we kill him, we can bring down the empire in one move.”

Yoda seemed to mull this over for a few seconds before he spoke again. 

“Then one request I have of you my friend?”

Ahsoka was surprised. Yoda very rarely asked for anything from anyone in such a way. And despite everything that had gone down between the two of them, she still respected his advice in a weird way. 

“Of course Master Yoda. Anything.”

Suddenly, it was as if Ahsoka was pulled out the meditative state she hadn’t even realized she had entered. She found herself back in the dark cave on her knees. 

Raising her head from where it had dropped slightly, the Togruta jumped back in surprise at what was before her. 

Standing before her in the cave, resting his weight on his trusty cane, was Master Yoda. His eyes bore into hers, analysing her, seeing through to her very soul. 

And then he spoke. 

“Old I am. But help, I wish to. Join your team, I desire. Have me, will you?”

********************************************************************************************************

Kaeden and the others had been waiting outside the cave for a good amount of time, and Kaeden was starting to grow worried. Whatever Ahsoka was doing in there was obviously private, given that neither Maul nor Kenobi made a move to follow. 

The dark-skinned human woman could only hope that Ahsoka would emerge unharmed. 

Both physically, and mentally. 

It was then that Kaeden heard movement coming from inside the cave. Behind her, Maul approached, whilst Kenobi, who had been sat on a nearby fallen tree meditating, opened his eyes to watch. 

A few tense seconds later, Ahsoka emerged looking no worse for wear. 

Kaeden couldn’t help breathe a sigh of relief, before moving forward to greet the Togrutan woman. 

“You ok?” Kaeden asked. Ahsoka smiled back, bringing her hand up to squeeze Kaeden’s shoulder.

“What happened in there?” Maul inquired next, confusion in his voice. 

Expecting Ahsoka to answer, both Kaeden and Maul were surprised when another voice spoke first. 

“Faced her fears, she has. Confident in who she is, Ahsoka Tano has become.”

Kaeden watched as a small green figure existed the cave behind Ahsoka, hobbling along with a walking stick. It looked like some sort of rodent, one that was perhaps native to this planet. 

Before she had a chance to ask, Kaeden heard Maul mutter under his breath. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me? Another Jedi?”

Kaeden did a double take. This small green creature was a Jedi?

Not able to stop herself, Kaeden suddenly found herself unable to stop her mouth. “But, he’s small and old. How can you be a Jedi?”

Silence filled the air. Maul had a look of surprise on his face, as did Ahsoka. 

Kenobi didn’t seem at all fazed by the disrespect. 

But it was the green creature’s expression that surprised Kaeden the most. His face was lit up with a smile, one that clearly showed humour. 

Slowly, the creature lifted out a hand, and gently made an upwards gesture with it. 

What happened next nearly cause Kaeden to scream in terror. She felt herself suddenly being lifted off of the ground, suspended in mid-air. She had seen the force at work before, even been the recipient of an interrogation technique or two courtesy of the Sixth Brother. 

But she had never been lifted into the air before by it. It was surreal to experience it in such a way. 

It was then that the green creature spoke. 

“Old and small I may be, but with the force, still strong I am, Kaeden Larte.”

Still suspended in the air, Kaeden’s eyes widened at the creature saying her name. 

“How do you know my name?” Kaeden questioned cautiously. What was going on?

“Seen you I have, in a vision. Stabilising element you have on Ahsoka. Important to her future, you are.” The green creature spoke cryptically. 

Glancing to the side, Kaeden locked eyes with Ahsoka. The Togruta’s blue eyes held both mischief, and confusion within them. Mischief at Kaeden’s current predicament, and confusion at the words of the Jedi. 

“Ok, you can put me down now.” Kaeden turned her attention back to the green creature, who chuckled at Kaeden’s words, but released her gently. Kaeden felt her feet lightly touch the swamp beneath her. It was good to be on solid ground. 

“Master Yoda I am.” The green creature spoke, resuming his hold on his walking stick, before turning to Maul. 

“Surprised I am, to see you here. A new path you seek?”

Maul seemed to almost snarl at the Jedi called Yoda, but refrained. 

“Lady Tano has shown me a new path.” That was all the Zabrak said, and clearly nothing more needed to be said, as Yoda seemed to hum once, accepting Maul’s word. 

It was then that Ahsoka spoke up.

“Master Yoda has agreed to help us with our mission.”

“Yes, help I will. Much to do, there is.” Yoda confirmed afterwards, humour still in his croaky voice. Kaeden had to admit, for a Jedi Master, Yoda was amusing to watch and listen to. 

Shrugging her shoulders, still feeling weird from her experience with the force, Kaeden spoke.

“So, what now Ahsoka? We need to get to the meeting spot on Raada soon.”

That much was true. There was now only a day before the team had agreed to meet on Raada. If they were going to make it, they had to leave soon. How time had flown by. 

“Agreed. We should head there and get set up to wait for everyone.” Ahsoka spoke, assuming command of the situation. The Togruta began to move back towards the ship she had arrived in with Kaeden, assuming that Maul would head back to the Nightbrother.

So it was a surprise when Maul did not move from his spot. Instead, his gaze had turned to the cave that Ahsoka had previously been in. 

“Maul? You ok?” Ahsoka inquired, concern in her voice. 

The Zabrak made a gesture for Ahsoka to leave without turning around to face her, before speaking.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to stay for a bit. I feel the need to enter the cave myself. I’ll bring the Jedi along shortly.”

That surprised Ahsoka. Why did Maul want to enter the cave? What was he hoping to find in there? 

Still, she wouldn’t argue. Maul knew what he was doing, and she was sure he wouldn’t bail on her now. 

“Ok. See you three later then.” Ahsoka called out in reply. 

Yoda nodded once, watching as Maul began to descend into the cave. Obi-Wan merely returned to his meditation. 

Shrugging off the unexpected turn of events, Ahsoka fell in line with Kaeden as they two headed back into the cargo freighter owned by the Larte sisters, before setting course for Raada. 

It was time to see who had been recruited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay in posting. Internet issues.   
> Hope you liked this chapter, and that you don't mind Yoda joining in on the mission.   
> Next time round, we check in with various people on both sides of the conflict, and a decision is made that will shock a lot of people.


	23. Internal Conflicts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Galen Erso does some internal thinking.   
> And rebel command makes a shocking decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time. Hope you enjoy it none the less.

Galen Erso poured over the various reports he had before him. The demands of Krennic and the Emperor were obscene. The weapon was a monstrosity, one that should never fall into the hands of anyone. 

Galen was positive he knew what the Emperor would do with it once it was constructed. It would be used on the innocent, an attempt to rule through fear. 

And that, Galen could not abide. 

Sure, the republic had been failing in its last days. But the empire was no better. 

And Krennic had changed too. His ambitions made him dangerous.

That was why he had leaked the plans for the Death Star to the rebellion. Hopefully, they would find a way to destroy it before it was finished, before it could be used. 

But then, would anyone be willing to outright attack a station such as this. It would take someone with extreme nerve to do it. It was practically a suicide mission. 

But Galen didn’t give up hope. 

Luckily for him Krennic had been ‘kind’ enough to grant him full access to the systems of the battle station. That included an updated schematic layout, as well as access codes for doors, as well as the station’ current location in space. 

And through his access, he had compiled all the knowledge together into one small data packet, and like before, sent it off to the rebellion through encrypted channels. 

Galen could only hope that this mysterious rebel agent called Fulcrum would receive the information in time. 

Then maybe, just maybe they would attack, and he could be free. 

“Soon Jyn. I will find you soon.”

******************************************************************************************************************************

Her stepped back to admire her and Kallus’ handiwork. It had taken some time, as well as several burns and gashes on their hands, but they had done it. 

Staring up at the Ghost, Hera marvelled at its newest additions. 

On the exterior, a pair of large cannons, extracted from the TIE Defender and integrated into the Ghost’s architecture. Hopefully this would provide the Ghost with some increased firepower. 

If that wasn’t enough, they had also salvaged the experimental laser cannon from Quarrie’s prototype B-wing. With that installed upon the Ghost, the freighter could make short work of any large imperial vessels that got in its way.

It wasn’t just the exterior that had been changed either. Kallus had extracted and figured out how to install both the Defender’s hyperdrive and shield generator, further improving the Ghost as a ship. 

For all accounts and measures, it was now leagues ahead of anything the rebellion possessed. 

But it would still fall to the might of the entire imperial fleet, which would be a problem if it was guarding the battle station. 

At least, it might be a problem. That now entirely depended on whether or not the Defender’s IFF tag, which had also been installed onto the Ghost, would still register as friend to the empire. If it did, then they might be able to sneak through. 

“So, I think she’s ready.” Kallus spoke, pride in his work. Hera had to agree with him. It was a thing of beauty. 

She only hoped that it would be enough.

“Time to head to Raada then.” Hera replied, before beginning to head towards the ramp into the Ghost. Both Miara and her father were already inside, moving some supplies they had acquired for the mission around the ship, per AP5’s instruction.

Kallus made to follow, before a voice rang out to them. 

“Captain Syndulla? Captain Kallus? Wait for us. We’ve got something to tell you!”

Both Hera and Kallus turned to see Cassian and his droid, K-2SO, heading their way. Cassian had a serious look on his face, It was obviously important. 

“What’s wrong Cassian?” Kallus called out when his fellow Fulcrum agent was within earshot. 

“We got another message from Galen Erso. Apparently he’s on the battle station right now, and he’s given us updated schematics for the thing, as well as coordinates.”

Hera’s eyes widened in surprise. They were so close to launching their mission, and new information was still coming in?

Still, they couldn’t stand around and debate it. They had to get moving if they were to get to the rendezvous in time. 

Gesturing Cassian to follow, Hera continued to the Ghost.

*********************************************************************************************************************

Minutes later, various members of the rebel alliance witnessed the Ghost begin to ascend and fly away from the rebel base on Yavin Four. Most assumed they were on another supply run, or going on some sort of mission. 

Most were unaware of the truth. 

From the shadows of the temple that acted as the rebel base, a figure watched, a datapad in his hand. On it, was a signal, one transmitting a location. 

That location was currently moving, which made sense. 

The tracker was working. 

Nodding to themselves, the figure keyed up their comm link, and sent a message to Senator Mothma. 

Mothma replied seconds later, ordering the person to the command centre, as well as most of the senior rebel staff on site to discuss what was to be done.

************************************************************************************************************************

The order had requested that they meet immediately. Apparently there was something of vital importance to discuss, something that was important to the survival of the rebellion.

Commander Jun Sato had a hunch he knew what was about to be discussed, but he couldn’t very well turn down the orders. 

So he had left what he had been doing prior, and sped to the command centre in the Yavin temple. 

Ever since the last major meeting, where Commander Tano had blown a gasket at the assembled leaders, things had been tense, and on a need to know basis. 

Sato agreed with Tano’s outlook on the matters discussed however, and had purposefully tried to keep the other rebel leaders busy, drawing attention away from what Tano and company might have been doing behind the backs of the rebellion.

Sato only hoped they hadn’t been found out.

Walking through the last doorway, Sato entered the command centre, and approached the holographic table in the centre.

Glancing around at the others individuals present, Sato did a quick headcount. 

‘Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Leia Organa, Admiral Raddus, General Dodonna.’

It was strange to see the princess of Alderaan once again present in the meeting, and Sato knew that she held no real power. Perhaps Bail just allowed her to come along to watch and learn. 

“Ah, Commander Sato, good you’re here. We have important matters to discuss.”

Another voice sounded behind Sato, one that didn’t belong to anyone he had previously spotted at the table. 

A new figure emerged, heading round the table to stand at the side of Mon Mothma. 

Recognizing the figure, Sato responded.

“General Draven?”

Davits Draven was a no nonsense kind of individual, who often resorted to more underhand and somewhat morally questionable orders to achieve success. He was nowhere near the level of Saw Gerrerra on morality, but he was still a force to be reckoned with.

“General Draven had a vital matter to discuss with us in regards to something I asked him to look into.” Mon Mothma spoke, her voice as calm as ever. It was rare for her to shout, even when people shouted at her. Strange… coming from a former Republic Senator.

Draven moved forward, reaching his hand out to the holographic table and pressing a series of buttons. The table flared to life, bringing up a map of the galaxy, showing various important details. 

But today, it seemed that they were not looking at something occupied by the imperials, but something else entirely. 

Pointing his finger at a single flashing light on the map, one that was moving at high speeds, Draven spoke. 

“This is a tracking beacon, one I recently installed on a ship that I believe is up to no good.”

Questioning looks were passed round the assembled rebel leaders, each as confused as the other. 

“What ship is this? Imperial?” Dodonna questioned.

Draven shook his head, a grim look overtaking his facial features. 

“No General, not imperial, but rebel. Specifically, the Ghost.”

“What?!” It was Bail Organa that openly questioned the statement, and Sato had to agree. Why had Draven placed a tracking beacon on one of the most reliable ships in the rebellion?

‘Have they figured out what Tano is doing?’ Sato thought privately. 

Rather than continue himself, Draven gestured to Mon Mothma.

“I have suspected for some time now that despite this council’s decision, Commander Ahsoka Tano had gone against our wishes and is planning to launch an assault on the imperial battle station. General Draven and I dispatched multiple Bothan Spies to follow members of the Ghost crew, who all seemed to be meeting specific individuals around the galaxy, without orders from rebel command to do so.”

Sato sucked in a breath. ‘Oh Kriff, they do know!’

Draven then continued. “Furthermore, our spy in Gerrerra’s partisans revealed that Tano has been seen talking to Saw, possibly to recruit him, or worse, side with him.”

More looks of concern went around the assembled leaders. Ahsoka’s outburst had been seen as a major violation of the rebel command structure, hence why she had been put on leave because of it. But if she was no willingly siding with a known terrorist to achieve her plans, that made her a dangerous threat to the rebellion as a whole. 

“Why track the Ghost though?” Leia spoke up for the first time, fear in her voice at the thought of the rebel high council blacklisting her ‘aunt’.

Draven continued. “It would appear that Commander Tano has encouraged the Ghost team to support her suicidal campaign, despite our orders on the contrary. If we are to discover what Tano is doing, we must track them to the location they intend to meet at before they launch the mission.”

Watching everything take place, Sato noticed Leia’s face contort in anger. “So you’re spying on Captain Syndulla and her team? I thought you trusted them?”

Draven nodded, before tapping another series of buttons on the holographic table. The galaxy map faded away, this time being replaced by an image of Ahsoka Tano, as well as details about her.

“We do Princess, however Commander Tano’s history with the Jedi could mean she is capable of brain washing them to help her. They may not be doing this of their own free will.”

Mon Mothma seemed to agree, adding to Draven’s statement. “Furthermore, she has been known to collaborate with certain aggressive individuals in the past, as well as use morally questionable tactics to achieve her endgame. It is possible she has been an agent of the Sith this entire time.”

Sato had to refrain from jumping to Ahsoka’s defence. How dare they question her loyalty!

“So, what exactly are you suggesting Senator Mothma?” Bail spoke up now, worry and remorse in his voice. 

Mothma looked at Draven, who looked back at her, before nodding in a cryptic manner. 

Mon Mothma nodded back in the same way, sending chills down Sato’s spine. What were they planning?

Turning back to the table before them, Mothma began to speak. 

“After much deliberation, General Draven and I have come to an agreement. Commander Ahsoka Tano’s actions are directly in violation of orders from a superior, and we have reason to believe she has been compromised. Admiral Raddus, you and General Draven are to take the Profundity and follow the tracking beacon. Once located, you are to capture the Crew of the Ghost, as well as their associates and return them to Yavin Four.”

Raddus, who had been suspiciously quiet during the meeting nodded in understanding. From where he was, Sato could see that the Mon Calamari did not agree with everything, but saw the possible threat that could emerge.

“As you wish Senator.” Raddus replied.

But it appeared that Mon Mothma was not finished. 

“Furthermore, considering her status as a Fulcrum Agent, Tano had complete access to all rebellion secrets. She is therefore considered a breach on security of the highest level.”

Sato gulped. They weren’t possibly considering…

“Therefore Admiral Raddus, you are under orders to terminate Commander Ahsoka Tano on sight.”

“NO!”

Chaos broke out amongst those that were present. Sato was too horrified by the decision to say anything, as was Bail Organa by the looks of it. 

It was Leia that had screamed out in despair at the order. 

“Father, you can’t let them do that to Aunt Soka. You can’t!”

Bail’s face was one of helpless despair. The Alderaan Senator seemed to be struggling with himself, as if he both agreed and disagreed with the decision. 

Raddus then spoke up, confusion in his voice at the orders. 

“Are you certain that is necessary Senator Mothma?”

Draven stepped forward again, speaking in his usual demanding tone.

“Protocol regarding renegade Fulcrum Agents is clear. They possess all the secrets of the rebellion, and cannot be allowed to fall into enemy hands. If Tano is indeed working for the Emperor, as we speculate, then she must be put down. The protocol was written by Tano herself after all.”

Raddus seemed to debate for a second, before sighing dejectedly. “As you wish then.”

Draven nodded, before turning to the rest of the assembled rebels. 

“Anyone else have anything to say?”

No one spoke. 

Draven huffed, before speaking again. “Meeting dismissed.”

Sato watched as Draven gestured for Raddus to follow, the Mon Cala doing so reluctantly. 

On the other side of the table, Leia stormed off, her father calling after her. Sato watched them go, despair in his heart. 

Mon Mothma had also departed, leaving the room, no doubt to attend to other matters. 

That just left Sato with Dodonna, who hadn’t said a word since the orders had been revealed. 

The leader of the Massassi group had a horrified and betrayed look on his face. Sato remembered that he had not sided with Ahsoka originally. But now…

Looking up from his position, Dodonna locked eyes with Sato, who stared back.

Both rebel leaders, now put in an impossible situation. 

Moving round the table, Sato approached Dodonna. 

He was taking a massive risk, one that would almost certainly backfire. 

He could only hope that Dodonna had enough common sense to see that this whole plan was beyond stupid. 

Closing the distance between them, Sato whispered into Dodonna’s ear. 

“I’m not going to let them do this General. Will you help me?”

Dodonna seemed to debate for a few seconds, various emotions going through both his eyes and his body language. 

Then finally, he nodded, fire and determination in his eyes.

“Then round up what loyal men you have General, and await my signal.”

Dodonna nodded again, listening to Sato despite the difference in rank.

Pulling away from Dodonna, Jun Sato moved to leave the command centre. His destination, the landing zone where they were currently testing the new prototype X-wings. 

Forming a plan in his head, Sato decided that if he was to pull this off, he would need the support of two people, his nephew and Lieutenant Antilles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> Draven, Mon Mothma... what have you done!  
> So, things are about to get crazy.   
> I'd love to know what you all think of the plot twist in this chapter.   
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
> Next time round, the team unites on Raada for the calm before the storm.


	24. Alone, with Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team unites of Raada for the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super long chapter... enjoy. :)

From orbit, Raada seemed unchanged from when Ahsoka had last visited. The farming moon was visibly intact, unlike many of the worlds under imperial oppression.

But on the surface, Ahsoka knew it would be a very different story. 

The empire had come to Raada to exploit it, to ruin it. 

Once, the moon was home to a small group of settlers, pioneers who dreamed of a simple life.

Now, it was practically lifeless. 

And it had all been Ahsoka’s fault. She had drawn the empire there, drawn an Inquisitor to the planet, and in doing so she had practically destroyed the moon overnight. The land was poisoned, corrupted so that nothing could grow. Martial law had gone into effect, a curfew leading to several arrests. 

And there had been a lot of death too, many of which were friends of the Larte sisters. 

In truth, Ahsoka had been lucky to get anyone out alive that day. Furthermore, it was a miracle that either Kaeden or Miara were still speaking to her afterwards. 

And now, a simple farming moon that had helped to direct her course was once again going to play a pivotal role in a coming battle. 

Directing the freighter down towards the series of rocks and caves the team had agreed to meet in, Ahsoka glanced over at Kaeden. The dark-skinned woman was watching out the window, analysing the surface… remembering what had happened.

Internally, Ahsoka felt a wave of guilt come over her. No matter what Kaeden said, it had been Ahsoka’s fault, nothing could change that. 

“It doesn’t look any different. I thought that perhaps…” Kaeden spoke in a whisper. 

Reaching across to place a hand on Kaeden’s shoulder, Ahsoka squeezed it in comfort. 

War could change many things about a planet, as well as a person. Some of those were not visible to the naked eye. 

Angling the freighter downwards, Ahsoka settled it into a landing position next to the rock formation. 

“Time to go and set up shop I guess.” Kaeden quipped from beside the Togruta, leaving her seat and taking the lead. 

Ahsoka allowed a small smile to come to her face, before moving to follow. 

Stepping outside onto Raada’s surface, Ahsoka was struck by a sense of familiarity. 

In a weird way, it was good to be back. 

Glancing over at Kaeden, who was heading over to the cave entrance, Ahsoka made to follow. 

What was once a series of traps and triggers, designed to warn and stop any unwelcome party from entering was now nothing more than worn out tech. The vast majority of the cave system had collapsed when the Sixth Brother had attacked, but a large central chamber remained intact. It would be large enough to house the team when they assembled. 

Moving through the dark tunnels that led to the central chamber, the two women finally emerged. 

It was dark, as were most caves, the only light coming through a small crack in the roof, as well as from the torches being carried by Ahsoka and Kaeden.

With humour in her voice, Kaeden spoke. “Can’t say I’ve missed this place too much.”

Ahsoka chuckled, moving to stand beside her friend.

They still had yet to properly talk about what had happened between them. Ahsoka knew she was stalling on purpose, and was fairly sure that Kaeden knew that.

“Now we just wait for someone else to arrive.” Ahsoka spoke, moving to sit on the floor under the beam of light coming through the roof. 

Kaeden moved to follow, taking the place by Ahsoka’s side. 

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, both contemplating what was soon to come. 

For both, this could be the last time they ever really saw each other. If this suicide mission really turned out to be a suicide mission…

Internally, Ahsoka felt grief, finding that she didn’t want to leave Kaeden. 

But by this point she was committed to the mission. 

She would end Sidious and the superweapon.

Or she would die trying.

“Ahsoka, I need to tell you something.” Kaeden interrupted the quiet. Normally, Ahsoka would have been annoyed, knowing what was coming next. But after everything, Ahsoka felt like she owed the human something. 

“Go ahead Kaeden.”

Kaeden moved from her position beside Ahsoka, moving to sit in front on her. 

Ahsoka could tell that Kaeden was nervous, evident by the visible twitching of her eyes, and erratic hand gestures. 

Reaching her own orange skinned hand out, Ahsoka gently clasped Kaeden’s in her own. 

“Relax. You can tell me anything Kaeden.”

Kaeden gulped nervously, and then began to speak timidly.

“You know I care about you Ahsoka, and I know you are reluctant to pursue anything. But I just want you to know that I’m willing to wait, and that I’m here for you, regardless of what happens.”

Ahsoka listened, and in doing so she felt warm inside, like she believed every word that Kaeden was telling her. 

Her experience should tell her otherwise, that it was unwise to get close to people. 

But despite everything, the force seemed to sing to Ahsoka whenever Kaeden was around, as if it was telling her to trust Kaeden. 

And Ahsoka did, she really did.

Kaeden then continued, marginally more confident than before. 

“And I know you are going on a suicide mission and all, but if you come back, when you come back, I’d like to take you out somewhere, just you and me. What do you say?”

Ahsoka allowed a bright smile to come to her face. Not one of mocking, nor one of teasing, but a genuine one. 

Despite everything that had gone wrong in her life, Ahsoka decided to follow her instincts. 

Still gripping Kaeden’s hand in her own, Ahsoka squeezed once again before replying. 

“I’d like that Kaeden.”

Kaeden’s eyes bulged dramatically, as if honestly surprised by Ahsoka’s response.

Ahsoka had to refrain from laughing. 

“You would?! You would! Oh, great, excellent. I mean wonderful, I, um?”

Kaeden was quite clearly flustered by Ahsoka’s admission. Squeezing the dark-skinned hand again, Ahsoka merely smiled, before pulling the human into a hug. 

Both women embraced one another for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of being in close contact with each other. 

Ahsoka would admit that she wasn’t fully comfortable with the shift just yet. That would take time.

But she was willing to adapt. Kaeden was worth it. 

Pulling out of the embrace, Ahsoka decided to ignore her discomfort, and leaned her face forwards, placing a light kiss on Kaeden’s cheek, who blushed at the gesture. 

Pulling back, both woman made eye contact, smiles on their faces as they simply stared at each other. 

“Oh kriffing finally! Do you know how many credits you’ve gone and cost me with this nonsense?”

Both Kaeden and Ahsoka pulled away from one another instantly, both embarrassed as they sought out the origin of the voice that had interrupted them. 

Lifting her torch up to illuminate the area, Ahsoka recognized the figure.

Kaeden clearly did too. 

“Miara! When did you get here?”

Miara Larte strode forward, moving to embrace her older sister. 

“Just a minute ago. The rest of our little group is outside. I told them I’d look inside to see if you were here. Probably should have waited though huh?” Miara replied, a teasing tone in her voice. 

Again, Kaeden blushed at her sister’s implication. 

Ahsoka chose that moment to speak up. “You said the others are outside?”

Miara nodded, a rogue smile on her face, clearly enjoying the situation. 

“Yeah, Hera and Kallus are outside, along with some others. Come on, let’s go get them.”

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Exiting back into the sunlight of Raada, Ahsoka was surprised to see the Ghost had undergone some series modifications to its design. It now clearly possessed the large weapons of the TIE Defender they had captured, as well as a laser cannon of some kind. 

Ahsoka could only wonder what else had been done to the ship.

“Hey, you’re here.” A voice that Ahsoka recognized as Kallus sounded out. Ahsoka turned to see her friend approach, a smile on his face. The two clasped hands briefly, before turning to greet the others as they approached. 

Ahsoka spotted Cassian and K-2, who both waved at her with enthusiasm, as well as AP5, who nodded his respect, one that Ahsoka returned. 

Then Hera approached, with another Twi-lek behind her. This one was male, and older by the look of it. A different colour too, orange rather than green.

He looked familiar to Ahsoka, as if they had met before. 

“Commander Tano, a pleasure to see you again. Cham Syndulla, at your service.” The orange Twi-lek spoke, his accented voice now giving away his identity. 

Ahsoka remembered him now. He was a living legend, both of the clone war, and the growing rebellion. 

Reaching her hand out to the elder Syndulla, Ahsoka spoke. 

“Good to see you again General Syndulla. It’s been a long time since Ryloth.”

Cham chuckled, whilst gripping Ahsoka’s hand and shaking it in response. 

“Indeed it has young one. I hear you’re taking on the emperor. Quite the step up from commanding a fighter squadron.”

Ahsoka smiled, remembering the Ryloth campaign from her youth.

“Someone has to do it.”

Cham laughed again at Ahsoka’s response, before stepping in beside Hera. 

“We the first here then?” Hera inquired, looking around for anyone else. 

Ahsoka nodded. They still had to wait for the others. 

“We’ll camp in the cave tonight, and head out in the morning.” Kallus spoke, gesturing towards the cave entrance. 

Ahsoka glanced over to see Cassian and the droids moving various crates from the Ghost and into the cave network. Clearly they were planning to set up shop. 

“Soooo, place your bets then. Who’s gonna show up next?” Miara quipped, joining the group with Kaeden. 

It was Hera that spoke first, humour in her voice, surprising everyone. 

“It won’t be Ezra. He’s always late.”

The assembled group chuckled at the comment. It was rare for Hera to make a funny. 

Suddenly, Ahsoka’s montrals picked up a sound of a ship above. Glancing upwards, Ahsoka was pleased the see the familiar shape of the Phantom descend towards them.

‘That answered that question then.’ Ahsoka thought. 

As the Phantom landed before the assembled group, it was Hera that seemed to be most anticipating the ships arrival. 

Seconds later, the ramp to the rear of the ship descended, and the bay doors opened, revealing several figures.

First down the ramp was Zeb, who upon seeing the others bounded down the ramp, a bright smile on his face. 

Kallus was the first to greet the Lasat, the two exchanging some sort of secret handshake the likes of which Ahsoka had never seen before. 

Next down the ramp was Kanan, who despite not possessing sight, immediately moved to Hera’s waiting side. 

Ahsoka watched as the Jedi Knight and the Twi-lek pilot embraced briefly. Clearly they had missed each other, and Ahsoka couldn’t blame them. 

Nor would she fault them, not after what had happened with Kaeden in the cave a few moments ago. 

“How’s it going?” Kanan inquired, cheer in his voice. 

Expecting Hera to be the one that replied, Kanan was clearly surprised when he heard a different voice reply, one he recognized instantly, judging by the way the Jedi stiffened in surprise and embarrassment. 

“Very well Master Jedi. How goes things for you?”

Kanan coughed a few times, stepping away from Hera as if he was scared of something. 

His face was one of a mortified expression, as if he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

“General Syndulla, sir, I, uh, didn’t realize you were here.”

Practically everyone was trying to hold in their laughter, even Cham, as Kanan tried in vain to cover up the brief intimate moment with Hera. 

“I wanted to assist my daughter, is that ok?” Cham regained his composure, putting on a strict façade, attempting to further embarrass Kanan.

“Good, that’s good. Glad you’re here.” Kanan’s voice reached a higher pitch that Ahsoka thought possible. Beside her, Kaeden laughed aloud.

It was then that three more figures descended down the ramp of the Phantom. 

Ahsoka turned to observe the approaching figures. Two she recognized, but the third she did not. 

Hera chose that moment to speak, joy in her voice. 

“Sabine! You came!” 

Sabine Wren moved forward, a wide smile also present on her face. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel joy radiating off of the Mandalorian. 

“Couldn’t leave my second family to go on a mission such as this without me.” Sabine replied, before glancing over at Ahsoka and nodding.

The second figure that Ahsoka recognized was Fenn Rau, who immediately moved the join Kanan and Cham as they talked, trading stories. 

One Mandalorian was a dangerous threat. Two would be a nightmare even for a Jedi. 

So when Ahsoka glanced at the figure she didn’t recognize and saw yet another heavily armoured Mandalorian, Ahsoka almost felt pity for the empire. 

Almost.

Sabine chose that moment to introduce the other Mandalorian present. 

“Guys, this is my brother, Tristan Wren. Tristan, this is Hera Syndulla,” Sabine spoke, indicating towards the Twi-lek first, before shifting the gesture to Ahsoka, “And that is Ahsoka Tano. From what Kanan said, she’s the one leading this suicidal mission.”

Internally Ahsoka winced at yet another reminder that this might be the last day of their lives. 

Why was she willing to make them risk everything for her again?

Tristan nodded, offering his hand to Hera and Ahsoka in turn. 

“Pleasure. I’m always willing to help those in need. If Sabine says we can do it, then I believe her.” Tristan spoke, a serious tone in his voice. Just from that, Ahsoka could tell that he was the more serious sibling of Clan Wren. 

“Well I welcome any and all help I can get. This is going to be one hell of a mountain to overcome.” Ahsoka replied, humour in her voice. 

Tristan smiled before replying. “Between several Jedi and Mandalorians, as well as various other combat specialists, we can’t lose.”

“Let’s hope so.” Sabine interrupted, a grim look on her face. 

***************************************************************************************************************

A few more minutes passed after the arrival of the Phantom and its passengers, and the various members of the team had gone to do different things. 

The Mandalorians had headed inside the cave, carrying various crates they had picked up in the journey, accompanied by Hera, her father and Kallus. 

That just left the Larte sisters, Kanan, Zeb and Ahsoka outside to keep watch for any new arrivals. 

The small group chatted briefly about what they had done since separating on Yavin Four. They had all had varying degrees of success when it came to recruitment. 

Ahsoka was careful not to reveal too much about the fact that both Obi-Wan and Yoda would be joining them. 

To be truthful, she wasn’t ever sure they would actually show up, so rather than get the hopes of the team up, she kept quiet.

The discussion soon turned into harmless teasing however, as Miara began to pick apart Kanan’s reaction to Cham Syndulla’s presence, much to the annoyance of the Jedi Knight. 

It was shortly after that that the next arrival occurred, this one flying a ship that sent nostalgia coursing through Ahsoka’s veins. 

Zeb noticed the ship second, lifting a hand to point towards it as it descended, confusion in his voice. 

“Is that an old republic gunship? Who’s flying that?”

Ahsoka didn’t even have to guess. Of all the things he had chosen to arrive in, it would be something that old. 

‘Just like him then.’ Ahsoka thought grimly. 

As the clearly heavily modified LAAT gunship set down before the rebels, Ahsoka braced herself for the reunion. 

The side hatch opened, and out stepped three figures, each dressed in old worn out clone armour, each possessing the same yet different face. 

When they saw Ahsoka, they marched on up to her, standing in a line before the Togruta. 

Silence passed for a few seconds, before all three clones snapped into a salute simultaneously. 

Needless to say, Ahsoka immediately reciprocated. 

“Captain Rex reporting for duty Commander Tano.”

“Commander Wolffe ready for assignment Commander.”

“Commander Gregor ready and waiting Commander. Point me in the direction of those clankers, I mean imperials.”

Ahsoka allowed a smile to come to her face before responding. 

“Good to have you here troopers. We couldn’t do this without you.”

It was Gregor that replied, his voice as energetic as usual. 

“Damn straight you couldn’t.”

*********************************************************************************************************************************

The clones seemed to settle in with the group relatively easily. With them they had brought several crates of munitions, all of which would be incredibly useful in punching a hole in the imperials. 

And they were legendary fighters in themselves, surviving the clone war when many had not. 

Ahsoka was glad to have them by her side.

Whilst Wolffe and Gregor had headed deeper into the cave to greet everyone, Rex had opted to remain outside with Ahsoka and the others, catching up on what they had missed. Ahsoka quietly filled Rex in on her meeting with Saw Gerrerra and how he had agreed to join the mission.

Rex had voiced some concern, knowing that the crew of the Ghost was not exactly fond of Saw, but also knowing that he would be vital to their success. Very few people hated the empire as much as Saw Gerrerra did, and they would need that anger to be successful.

Not long after the arrival of the clones, the majority of the team had headed inside, leaving only Ahsoka, Rex, Kaeden, Kanan and Hera to watch for new arrivals. 

It was then that the sounds of another ship approaching reached Ahsoka’s montrals.

Looking up, Ahsoka spotted a freighter of some kind descending on their position, one that screamed ‘pirate’. 

‘Who could this be?’

The group watched as the ship landed next to the various other ships assembled, the back ramp lowering and the rear doors opening. 

A tall man dressed in white came down the ramp first, spotting the assembled group and smiling at the sight of them. Ahsoka didn’t recognize him, but it was clear that Hera and Kanan did. 

“Ryder! You made it.” Kanan called out.

“Kanan. Hera. It’s good to see you two again.” The man, who Ahsoka could now identify as Ryder Azadi, replied, shaking hands with the Jedi and Twi-lek in greeting, before turning to face Ahsoka. 

His eyes seemed to study her for a few seconds, as if judging her, before he presented his hand to her too. 

“You must be Ahsoka, Ezra’s told me all about you. Ryder Azadi. I hear you need help toppling the empire.” 

Ryder’s voice was full of humour at the mention of toppling the empire. Despite the grave situation they found themselves in, it was good to know the team was in high spirits.

“Pleasure to finally meet you Governor Azadi. You’ve done good work on Lothal.” Ahsoka replied, shaking the offered hand. 

Ryder nodded, before gesturing behind him back to the ship. 

“Ezra and Chopper will be along in a minute, they are just helping sort of the explosives we acquired.”

So they had got something of use as well, excellent. Hopefully Sabine would be able to rig up something big for the mission.

It was then that Ezra approached the group, having evidently snuck towards them when no one was looking. He had a sheepish look on his face, as if he was guilty of something.

And judging by the way Chopper was beeping profanities at him from beside the young Jedi, Ahsoka could only hope to imagine what Ezra had done. 

“Hey guys, so, um. Don’t be mad, but I managed to pick up some extra help along the way.” Ezra spoke, his voice jumping between volumes, suggesting that he was expecting a bad outcome. 

Allowing a smirk to come to her face, Ahsoka had to resist the urge to laugh at Ezra. The young boy was known for getting into crazy antics, often leading to all sorts of trouble. In her youth, Ahsoka had been similar. She regarded the way that both Kanan and Hera’s shoulders slumped with fondness, remembering the numerous times in the past when the same had happened with Anakin and Obi-Wan.

“Ezra? Didn’t you leave in an A-wing? What happened to your ship?” Hera put on her stern voice, clearly acting both motherly and commandingly at the same time. 

“Fighter got destroyed. But we got a new ship. Just don’t be too mad about whose it is.” Ezra replied, a hand reaching back to scratch his head awkwardly. 

“Ezra, what have you done?” Kanan asked slowly, trepidation in his voice. 

From where she was standing, Ahsoka watched as the small family interacted, part of her feeling remorse, another part of her joy. She had lost this before, and she didn’t want to think about the fact that they might do too. 

Still, she watched with enjoyment as Ezra tried to explain himself, only to land himself in hot water more and more. 

‘Surely whoever Ezra roped into this won’t upset people more than Saw Gerrerra?’ Ahsoka thought.

Seconds later, she ate her own words. 

“My friends, my friends! It is I, Hondo!”

Any smile that had been on Ahsoka’s face dropped off instantly at the sound of the familiar voice. It may have been close to two decades since she last saw him, but the voice of Hondo Ohnaka hadn’t changed one bit. 

Clearly, the other members felt the same as her when Hondo appeared. 

“Oh kriff no!”

“Seriously Ezra?”

“I must have been horrifyingly cruel to people in a previous life to deserve this!”

Despite the outburst from Rex, Hera and Kanan, Hondo flaunted over the where the group was, a cheeky smile on his face. 

As he approached them, he looped his arm behind Ezra’s head, resting it on his shoulders before addressing the team.

“Captain Syndulla, how wonderful to be working with you again! Young Ezra here says you have a dangerous mission that you specifically needed Hondo for. How thoughtful of you.”

Ahsoka watched as Hera rolled her eyes, before mumbling a greeting to Hondo. 

Hondo then turned to Kanan. “And Master Jedi, how good to see you agai… oh right sorry, the eye thing. My bad!”

Ahsoka half expected Kanan to storm off at the accidental mention of his blindness, but the Jedi Knight remained motionless, not allowing it to grate at him.

Ahsoka admired that. 

Hondo then turned to Kaeden, who was watching Hondo with bemusement. 

“And who is this wonderful person, my, my, I don’t think we have met. Hondo Ohnaka, at your service.”

Kaeden clearly didn’t appreciate the way Hondo was being so forceful, as a slight look of disgust covered her face as the Weequay tried to get closer to her. 

Internally, Ahsoka felt something build inside of her. What was that?

Pushing whatever the feeling was inside her away for now, Ahsoka tried to get Hondo’s attention off of Kaeden. 

“Leave her alone Hondo!”

The old Weequay pirate clearly recognized the voice, as he slowly turned from Kaeden to look at Ahsoka. His eyes studied her for a moment, as if he was trying to put together some sort of complicated puzzle. 

“Ahsoka Tano? Is that you my old friend?”

Ahsoka said nothing, merely nodding instead, not trusting her words. The last time they had met didn’t turn out so well. 

Suddenly, a fire lit up in Hondo’s eyes, and his overbearing demeanour returned. 

“Ahsoka! It is you! My, my look how you have grown. I’m so proud and happy to know one of my Jedi friends survived! How did you get so tall? Oh, imagine how much I could get for you on the black market now?”

What happened next surprise everyone present, except maybe Rex. At Hondo’s mention of selling Ahsoka as a pleasure slave, the Togruta launched her fist out, leading to it connecting with the Weequay’s rough face, and sending him back clutching it in pain and surprise. 

It was Kaeden that called out in concern first. “Ahsoka, what was that for?”

Ahsoka didn’t reply, instead she maintained her stance as Hondo picked himself up. He would be useful to the mission, but she didn’t want him along if he was just going to antagonize people. 

After rubbing his cheek for a few moments where Ahsoka’s fist had connected, the Weequay faced Ahsoka again, the same mischievous look as before still present in his eyes. 

Despite the look, his tone was more reserved when he spoke. 

“Ok, still mad about that I guess. Sorry. But I am so glad to see you my friend. I hear you need help taking down the empire?”

Ahsoka nodded again before speaking. “That’s right, we do. If you want to help, I’d welcome your expertise. Otherwise, get lost Hondo.”

Hondo’s face lost any excitable look about it, seriousness setting in. It was a look that Ahsoka had never seen on the Weequay’s face before. 

“I want to help you Ahsoka. You saved my life the last time we met, even when you didn’t have to. This old pirate wants to return the gesture today.”

Ahsoka was honestly surprised that Hondo Ohnaka would ever want to do something out of the kindness of his own heart, much less for her. But she didn’t argue the fact. If he was willing to join and assist, then she would welcome him with open arms. 

“All right Hondo. You can help. But no betraying anyone!”

Hondo practically bounced in glee.

****************************************************************************************************************************

Shortly after arriving, Hondo had helped shift some more crates into the cave network, giving Ahsoka some space away from the old pirate. She only hoped the others inside the cave were not struggling with him too much. 

Ezra had also headed inside, eager to catch up with Sabine and Zeb.

So once again it was only Ahsoka, with Kaeden and Rex on one side of her, and Kanan and Hera on the other. 

Not that she minded all that much.

The skies of Raada were slowly beginning to darken, suggesting that night was on the way. If anyone else was to arrive they would have to do so soon in order to not get lost in the night. 

It was then that a U-wing fly overhead, before flying round to land with the assortment of ships that were already present. 

Saw was here. 

Standing from where she had been sitting, Ahsoka waited for the familiar figure of Saw Gerrerra to appear, before waving him over. Beside her, Rex stood, also awaiting the arrival of his friend. 

“Commander Tano, so good to see you again. You as well Captain Rex.” Saw spoke when he was within earshot, trading a gesture with Rex in a sign of mutual respects, before clasping Ahsoka on the shoulder lightly.

“Glad you could make it Saw.” Ahsoka replied, a smile on her face. Even if he was overly aggressive and reckless, Saw would make a fine addition to the team. 

Saw nodded again, before his gaze shifted over to Kanan and Hera, who had been standing at a distance. 

Through the force, Ahsoka could feel Kanan’s dislike of the man, as well as Hera’s reluctance to work with him. 

But whether they liked it or not, they would need Saw.

“Master Jedi, Captain Syndulla. Nice to see you again.” Saw spoke, offering nothing but respect for them. It was clear that after what had happened on Geonosis, the crew of the Ghost was one of the few rebel groups he actually liked. 

“Gerrerra. How’s things?” Hera spoke first, maintaining her professionalism despite the uncomfortable situation. 

“Going good captain, thanks for asking. How’s the team?” 

Hera seemed surprised at Saw’s enquiry. Ahsoka was not. She knew Saw. He cared, just in a roundabout way. 

“Fine thanks. Getting some rest before tomorrow.” Hera replied.

Saw nodded, a simple smile on his face. 

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Just then, the sounds of another ship sailing overhead, before moving into landing came to Ahsoka’s montrals. The Togruta turned in time to recognize the shape of the Nightbrother as it settled beside the heavily upgraded Ghost.

Ahsoka steeled herself for what was about to come. Obi-Wan joining them would be one thing. But Yoda as well?

How was she going to explain this?

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka delved into the force for support. Even then, she could pick up the extraordinarily powerful signatures of both Kenobi and Yoda, contrasted by the darker one of Maul. 

Clearly, someone else had sensed it too, as Ezra came out of the cave, a confused look on his face. 

“What’s going on? I sense something strange.”

Kanan clearly was feeling the same. “Yeah, me too. Ahsoka, who is that with Maul?”

Opening the eyes she didn’t even realize she had closed, Ahsoka looked up to see Maul approaching, two figures behind him. One was clearly Obi-Wan, and the other Yoda.

Maul then called out as he approached. 

“Sorry I am late Lady Tano, but my ship had technical difficulties.”

Ahsoka was about to respond and tell him to not worry, when another voice called out with humour. 

“Not technical difficulties they were, but mud clogging some circuits. Cleaned now, they are.”

Ahsoka nearly laughed at the look of complete despair on Maul’s face. It must have been a nightmare to travel with two arch enemies at once, let alone them being Yoda and Kenobi. 

“Wait, Master Yoda?” Kanan called out, recognizing the speech pattern. 

“Master Yoda I am. Here to help I am.” The small green alien spoke with joy as he approached Kanan and Ezra, hobbling with his walking stick. “Pleased I am to see you well. Learnt much, have you?”

The question was directed at both of them, Ahsoka could tell. And the answer was quite clearly yes. Since she had first met them, Kanan and Ezra had improved leaps and bounds. 

She was proud of them in a way. 

Saw meanwhile had been studying Maul’s other companion, the one with in brown robes with a white beard. Beside Saw, Ahsoka could see Rex’s eyes light up with joy at the sight of his old general. 

“General Kenobi? What are you doing here?”

Obi-Wan walked over to Rex, clasping him gently on the shoulder in greeting. 

“The same reason you are here Captain. To help our friend in her time of need.”

“Wait, Obi-Wan Kenobi as well?” Ezra turned in surprise to look at the elder human, who smiled and nodded at Ezra and Kanan. 

“General Kenobi?” Saw then spoke, recognition in his voice.

Obi-Wan shifted his gaze to Saw, before a smile came to his aging face.

“Saw Gerrerra, it has been a long time.”

Stepping away from the assembled group, Ahsoka turned to look upwards. In the time they had been talking, night had fallen on Raada. It was time to enter the cave for the night.

But something was eating away at Ahsoka. Everyone they had asked had practically arrived. The team was formed. 

All except for one person. 

Ahsoka was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Kaeden move to stand beside her, the dark-skinned human leaning her weight against the Togruta. 

Turning her gaze slightly to Kaeden’s, Ahsoka spoke. 

“I thought he would come. Shows what I know.”

She was referring to Quinlan Vos, that was evident. Ever since she had encountered the old master on Kashyyyk, she had held out for the possibility that he would join. 

But now it looked like he wouldn’t be. 

Sighing, Ahsoka turned away from the stars above, and began to head towards the cave entrance, where the rest of the group appeared to also be preparing to head inside. 

Just as she neared the group however, another sound hit her montrals. One that sounded a lot like the engines of a ship.

“Ahsoka! Look!” Kaeden called out, pointing upwards. 

The entire group shifted their gaze upwards. A ship, a fighter by the looks of it, was hovering above them. 

Then it began to descend. 

A smile filled Ahsoka’s gaze as she recognized the design of the ship. It was a familiar model, one she hadn’t seen in use for many many years.

Clearly she was not the only one. 

“Is that an Eta-2, Jedi variant to be precise? Who’s flying that?” It was Obi-Wan who enquired first, confusion in his voice. 

Internally, Ahsoka was filled with joy and excitement at what was about to occur. 

The Jedi Starfighter landed before them, the engines powering off and the hatch to the pilot seat opening.

A figure rose up from the pilot’s seat, jumping out of the fighter with reckless abandon, before standing to his full height to look out over the assembled group.

Ahsoka smiled at the sight of the man, an iconic yellow stripe covering his face.

Then, the man broke into a huge smile, and began to stride towards the group, his eyes focused on one individual in particular, just as Ahsoka assumed they would be. 

“Kenobi you old rule stickler you, how’s it going? Man you got old fast! Maybe you should try some sort of anti-wrinkle cream, yeah?”

Ahsoka nearly burst out laughing at the sight of Obi-Wan’s jaw, which had practically dropped onto the floor. Through the force, she felt his immense surprise. 

“What? Vos? You’re alive?” Kenobi spoke, undeniable joy in his voice. 

“You know it buddy. Couldn’t leave you without anyone to annoy you right?” Vos spoke boisterously, his hand coming to roughly clasp Obi-Wan’s shoulder, before pulling him into an unexpected bear hug.

Obi-Wan was clearly uncomfortable with the contact, clearly still reeling in shock at the sudden appearance of Quinlan Vos, and Ahsoka couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t every day that a friend you thought dead came back to life. 

Vos pulled away from Kenobi, turning his attention now to Yoda.

“And Master Yoda? Have you gotten shorter old friend?”

Surprising everyone, Yoda merely chuckled at Vos’ statement. The Kiffar man had always been somewhat of a joker.

Vos then turned to look at Ahsoka, a serious expression on his face. 

“Is the offer to help still open?”

Ahsoka smiled, nodding. 

Vos began to smile, before his face suddenly underwent a dark shift, as if he had seen something that scared him. 

That much was proven moments later, when a green flash of light emerged and was swung towards something behind Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka barely had time to react, anticipating that this might have happened if Vos came along. 

Igniting her own saber, Ahsoka blocked Vos’ green with her white, stopping the Jedi Master’s strike. 

“Ahsoka? What are you doing? That’s a clone!”

‘Oh!’ Ahsoka thought. She had expected this reaction towards Maul, not Rex. 

But then it occurred to her. Vos had been targeted by Order 66. He was unaware of the chips. Unaware that Rex was loyal. 

He still assumed that the clones were the bad guys. 

“I know Quinlan, but Captain Rex didn’t betray me. And he and a few of his brothers want to help us. If you’re going to work with us, then I need you to trust him.” Ahsoka spoke, her voice edging towards a commanding tone. Never did she think she would use such a tone of a respected and renowned Jedi Master. 

But in this case, it was necessary. 

Vos’ face took on a myriad of different looks, but his eyes were clearly haunted by what had happened in the past. The clone betrayal effected everyone differently. Ahsoka had just been lucky enough to have one who had remained loyal to her. 

She had been forced to kill the rest.

Finally, Vos extinguished his blade.

“Fine. But I’ll be watching them if it’s all the same to you Ahsoka.”

That was all Ahsoka could ask for. A little bit of trust. 

“Um, not to interrupt, but it’s getting cold out here. Shall be head inside?” Kaeden chose that moment to interrupt, breaking the tension that had formed.

Ahsoka glanced a look at her… what was Kaeden to her now?

Shaking off that thought, the Togruta smiled, before leading the way into the cave, the remaining members of her team following her. 

***************************************************************************************************************************

When she entered into the main open space of the cave network, Ahsoka expected everyone to either be asleep or dozing off. 

What she hadn’t expected was to see everyone crowded round a fire that had been built, listening to some outlandish tale being told by Hondo Ohnaka. 

“And then, Azmorigan came running back around the corner, screaming like a little girl!” 

Ahsoka only caught the end of the story, but judging by the way Hondo burst out laughing, as well as various other team members, it was clearly quite humorous. 

When the laughter died down, Hondo’s gaze shifted to Ahsoka, before spotting someone behind her. 

“Oh my! Is that my dear old friend Obi-Wan Kenobi? It is! My friend!”

Hondo came bounding towards them, pulling Kenobi into another bear hug. Once again, Obi-Wan seemed equally surprised at the appearance of Hondo as Hondo did him. 

Hondo pulled back, his face moving from Kenobi’s to the red visage of Maul’s. 

“And crazy tattoo man! How wonderful to see you again!”

Maul merely snarled, warning the Weequay to back off, clearly remembering their past encounter.

Hondo did so, backing off to allow Ezra to approach.

“Master Yoda? Is that you?” The young Jedi asked, voice full of awe. 

“Young Ezra Bridger. Powerful you have become. A good Jedi you will be.”

Ahsoka stepped away from the ongoing discussion, moving towards the fireplace, Kaeden on her tail.

They were all supposed to get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow. 

But now, now all she wanted to do was enjoy what might as well be her last night alive with friends.

So if that meant a late night party around a fireplace, then so be it.

**********************************************************************************************************************

The group had settled down after introductions had been made, and food had been given out courtesy of the clones, who had brought some supplies with them. 

Currently, Hondo was recalling the events of a previous adventure he had been on, one that was familiar to Ahsoka. 

“And then, General Grievous comes stomping into my hideout all, ‘look at me I’m a big scary robot with lightsabers’, and throws me in my own prison cell!”

Various chuckles went round the group. Of all the people, it was Gregor who seemed to be listening the most intently. The clone commando clearly enjoyed the slightly over the top nature of Hondo.

“And then, to top it all off, I later find out that the reason Grievous attacked my stronghold was because Kenobi couldn’t hold off a small fleet of battledroids!”

Obi-Wan began to sputter in surprise at the dig. Maul clearly enjoyed it, as a smirk appeared on his face at his arch enemy’s discomfort. 

“It wasn’t a small fleet Hondo. Besides, you captured Count Dooku once. I figured you could probably handle Grievous.” Obi-Wan defended himself.

Another bright smile reached Hondo’s face. 

“Oh, that’s reminds me of another story!”

*******************************************************************************************************************

After Hondo had gone through practically his entire life story, the Weequay pirate had calmed down, settling into the friendly nature of the group. Ahsoka almost wondered if he was trying to prove himself or something. 

With the lack of Hondo to fill the gap of discussion, it was only a matter of time before another one sparked up. 

And it did. 

“You have earned quite a reputation for your work General Syndulla. Blowing up that light cruiser in orbit? That was truly something.” Saw spoke, addressing the orange Twi-lek. 

“As have you Gerrerra. Though I question your more aggressive tactics.” Cham replied, a slight edge in his tone. 

Ahsoka held her breath, expecting some sort of argument to break out. 

Beside her, she felt Kaeden, who was leaned against her, stiffen also. 

Saw then offered his reply. “Questionable I know. And I hate it, but we all fight the empire in our own way. Is that not why we are here tonight?”

Cham smiled, his incisor teeth showing as he did. Raising a cup he had in his hand, Cham spoke. 

“Too true my fellow rebel. Let’s compare notes after this.”

“I’ll drink to that!”

************************************************************************************************************************

The Gerrerra/Syndulla debate continued for a while afterwards, before a new round of discussion began. This one clearly more designed to cause humour for the team.

It was of no surprise to Ahsoka that it was Miara that was leading the discussion.

“So Ahsoka, who’s your favourite Fulcrum agent of yours? Cassian, or Kallus?”

Both Cassian and Kallus’ head turned to stare down Ahsoka instantly, their eyes boring into Ahsoka’s.

It was clear that whoever she picked would upset the other one, even if it was a joke. 

So she settled for a third, unexpected answer. 

“K-2SO.”

“What?!”

“Excuse me?!” 

“Excellent choice!”

The wide range of responses caused Ahsoka to laugh. Both Cassian and Kallus had annoyed looks on their faces, while K-2 seemed overly pleased with himself. 

Shaking her head, Ahsoka decided that it was her turn to ask a question. 

“Hey Zeb. Chopper, or AP-5?”

**************************************************************************************************************

As the night drifted on, Ahsoka watched as various members began to grow quiet. Some had fallen asleep, and others were together in small groups discussing things. 

The only ones who were not in the cave were Kanan and Hera, who had attempted to sneak out together when they thought no one was watching. 

The Togruta allowed a small smile to come to her face. At least they were happy, despite everything. 

Taking another look around the room, Ahsoka sighed. Everyone present could be dead this time tomorrow. How could she ask them to sacrifice everything on what was a simple rumour. 

Perhaps rebel command had been right. Perhaps this was a foolhardy mission. 

The last thing she wanted was to get her team, her friends, killed because of some personal mission. 

Sighing again, Ahsoka slowly moved to stand, not drawing any attention to herself. 

She looked down at the sleeping form of Kaeden and whispered. 

“I’m sorry.”

And then she turned and headed out of the cave. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

Exiting the cave, Ahsoka began to move towards the Nightbrother. Hopefully Maul wouldn’t be too pissed off is she took it. 

She had to face Sidious alone. Had to do this whole mission alone. 

That was better than risking the lives of her friends, of her newfound family, for a personal grudge. 

Just as she was nearing the bottom ramp, a voice called out to her. 

“Going something, are you?”

Ahsoka halted her footsteps, a sense of shame filling her. 

Turning from her position, Ahsoka looked down at the concerned face of Master Yoda, who had apparently followed her out. 

“Yoda, please?” Ahsoka spoke timidly. She knew what he was about to do. 

“Leaving without us, you were planning to? Why?”

“Because I can’t in good conscience let them come with me. They could get killed!”

Yoda’s eyes didn’t budge from Ahsoka’s face, but in them she saw understanding. 

“Get killed every day you could. Not stopped you before. Why now?”

Ahsoka stopped to think. It was true. In the past, she had held no qualms about getting people to risk their lives. Hadn’t that practically been her entire career in the clone wars? Risking people’s lives for the so called greater good?

And what even was the greater good anymore?

“This is my fight Yoda. I’m going, and you can’t stop me!” Ahsoka replied, turning her back on the Jedi Master, fully intended on continuing up the ramp into the Nightbrother. 

“Coming with you I am then. Help you I wish to.”

Ahsoka span around, looking down at Yoda with a mortified look on her face. What was he saying?

“Respect your wishes I do. Dangerous this mission is. But alone you do not need to be. With friends, you are. Help you, they want to.”

Ahsoka listened to what Yoda was saying. It was true that everyone had become because she had asked. They all wanted to see the end of the emperor. 

“But why? Why would they follow me?” Ahsoka asked, no, pleaded with Yoda. 

Yoda merely smiled. 

“Believe in you, they do.”

It was a rare comment coming from the Jedi Master, from a person who, in her most desperate hour, had sold her out. 

But now, despite the past, despite everything, he was willing to believe.

He was willing to help.

And so was everyone else. 

Raising her hands in the air, Ahsoka submitted. 

“Fine. But I don’t like this.”

Yoda hummed lightly, before turning to lead the way back into the cave.

“Know you don’t I do, makes you a good person, it does.”

Entering back into the open area of the cave, Ahsoka saw that everyone else was asleep. She noticed that Yoda too was moving over to a small space near the fire, before curling up into a ball. 

Sighing to herself, Ahsoka moved back to her previous position next to Kaeden, lying down beside her.

The last thing she saw as she closed her eyes, was the rise and fall of Kaeden’s chest, as the dark-skinned human breathed gently in her sleep.

Ahsoka found it to be a comforting sound. 

************************************************************************************************************

She had expected some sort of nightmare, some sort of vision. And she had gotten one.

Ahsoka stood in the streets of what looked like Naboo, facing a small collection of houses nearby.

“I grew up here. Strange really. To come from such humble beginnings.”

Ahsoka didn’t turn her head to greet Sidious, who had clearly intruded in her dream again thanks to the Sith holocron. 

“I know you are coming for me Ahsoka. And I await your arrival.”

Ahsoka didn’t reply. The Sith Lord wasn’t worthy of her words. She wouldn’t rise to his taunting as he expected her to. 

“Tomorrow, your friends will die, and you will become Sith!”

The vision before her faded away, and Ahsoka was left alone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. I was a fun and challenging one to write. Suffice ot say, there was so much more I could of done with it, but I am saving that for some one shots as this chapter is long enough. 
> 
> Now, important information time:  
> From this point onwards we are in Act II of the story. This means that from this point onwards characters can and will start dying. I apologise in advance if I kill off your favourites. It is not done maliciously, but merely in the best interests of the story. If you want to rage at me in the comments/swear to destroy me, then I am fine with that. I'm happy to talk about the deaths when they happen.
> 
> Also, if you choose to stop reading my story because I kill off your favourite character then I completely understand and will not hold it against you. I really hope you like the direction of the story from this point onwards, as everything is about to go to hell.
> 
> Furthermore, I will also be doing a 'In Memorium' section whenever a character is killed off, giving my thoughts on the chracter as a whole as well as a reason why they were killed off.
> 
> Remember, no one (except for Cassian, K-2 and the Larte Sisters) are safe from death. So place your bets on who is not making it.
> 
> Now that that is over:  
> Next chapter will be an imperial centric one, as we focus on the 'Meeting of the Moffs'.


	25. The Meeting of the Moffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn attends the first meeting, and it goes about as well as he'd expect it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... Act II has begun.   
> Hope you like.

Today was the day, or at least one of the many days.

Since the arrival of the Emperor, Thrawn had not seen him on the station at all. Neither had Yularen, nor Pryce. 

Whether he was busy with his own work, or doing something with that monstrosity of a kyber crystal was beyond Thrawn. All that mattered was that he had not interfered in Thrawn’s ongoing investigation. 

And neither had the Eighth Brother. After his ‘discussion’ with the Inquisitor, the Terrelian had promptly left Thrawn alone to go about his own desires. 

And Thrawn had reciprocated that, not letting a soul know about the Eighth Brother’s deceptions.

Yet.

But today, it was a guarantee that Thrawn would see the Emperor, as the first of the ‘Meeting of the Moffs’ had been scheduled. 

It was a strange name, and a deceptive one at that. It implied there was only one grand meeting of a few select individuals. 

That couldn’t be further from the truth however. There was no way they would be able to get through everything that needed to be discussed in one meeting alone. 

So, there were multiple meetings, each one with a certain topic of discussion, as well as different members being present. 

Thrawn just so happened to be unlucky enough to be invited to all of them. 

That meant the Chiss would be forced to sit through meeting after meeting of bigotry and overzealous pride.

At least, he would because Tarkin had also been invited to every meeting. 

Sighing to himself, Thrawn moved towards the doorway that acted as the entrance to the conference room on the Death Star. 

Flanking the doorway were two Deathtroopers, who took Thrawn’s code cylinder to confirm his identity, before allowing him access. 

Stepping through the threshold of the doorway, Thrawn’s mind shifted to the topic of today’s meeting. 

Experimental projects. 

No doubt that Krennic’s battle station would be a keen talking point. Hopefully today, he would discover the whole truth.

When Thrawn had entered the conference room, he glanced at the table before him. Quickly counting in his head he saw ten places available around a large central chamber. 

Four of those seats were already filled. 

“Ah, Grand Admiral, glad you could make it. Please, take a seat.” Krennic was the first to speak, gesturing to a seat on the opposite side of the table to him. 

Glancing in the direction Krennic had pointed, Thrawn spotted an empty seat with a name tag on. His place. 

Smiling at the director in response, Thrawn moved to sit in his place. 

Lowering into his chair, Thrawn turned his face to the left. Beside him sat Yularen, who nodded in acknowledgement. 

Beside Yularen was Tarkin who looked completely uninterested in everything, and was far too busy ready a report to even notice Thrawn had entered the room. 

That suited the Chiss just fine. 

On the other side of Thrawn was an empty chair, yet the name tag identified it as belonging to Governor Pryce. 

Beyond Pryce’s chair, the fourth person sat. 

“Grand Admiral, how are you?” The voice of Tiber Saxon, Governor of Mandalore spoke out. 

“I am well Governor. How are things on Mandalore?”

Tiber Saxon was not his brother. The man practically spurned Mandalorian tradition at every possible option. Thrawn respected that in a way. But he also despised the very idea of throwing away one’s own traditions. 

“Despite recent rebel actively, courtesy of clan Wren and Kryze, we have maintained complete and loyal control of the populace.” Tiber spoke, both pride and arrogance in his voice. 

Thrawn nodded. That was good. Mandalorians were dangerous. If they actively joined the rebellion. 

Tarkin then spoke up, but didn’t move his gaze away from his datapad. 

“A shame the Grand Admiral has failed to stop the rebel leadership yet. We would not be having this trouble otherwise.”

Gritting his teeth, Thrawn refused the rise to the taunt. That was exactly what Tarkin wanted. 

The door to the conference room then opened, and Pryce strode in, followed by the last person that Thrawn expected. 

“Professor Erso?”

Galen Erso looked tired. Beyond tired, as if he was going to collapse at any moment. He was paler than he should be, and looked like he had rarely eaten since coming aboard. 

Thrawn guessed that daily exposure to the synthetic kyber crystal had not helped either. 

“Ah Galen, you’re here. Your seat is next to me.” Krennic spoke, gesturing to the chair between himself and Saxon.

Reluctantly, Erso sat down, fiddling with his fingers. 

Thrawn watched the scientist intently. His erratic behaviour was one indicative of someone who had done something that they wanted to remain a secret. It was obvious that Galen Erso really didn’t want to be in the meeting, but had been given no choice. 

‘Say what he will about being old friends, Krennic clearly doesn’t care for Erso at all.’ Thrawn thought. 

The door to the conference room opened again, and two more figures strode in. 

This time round, Tarkin glanced upwards at the entry, putting down his datapad to greet them. 

“Rax, Versio, a pleasure.”

Thrawn watched as the two men took their seats beside Krennic. From what Yularen had managed to find out, Gallius Rax was working on some sort of secret project for the emperor that was simply labelled a contingency plan. 

‘Contingency for what?’ Thrawn couldn’t help but wonder. 

The other man, Garrick Versio, was one of the most well respected admirals in the imperial navy. Usually he was often found overseeing the Imperial shipyards on Fonder, so why was he here?

What secret project did he know about?

“I live to serve my Emperor Governor, as you do.” Rax spoke clearly, in a tone that concerned Thrawn. The man seemed to have a strange sense of mystery about him.

Versio meanwhile kept quiet. 

Glancing around the table again, Thrawn noted that only one seat was not filled. 

He didn’t even need to speculate who that belonged to. 

Seconds later, he found out. 

The door once again opened, and the Emperor strode in, his black cape billowing behind him. 

The various assembled imperial leaders all rose from their chairs in a sign of respect, bowing their heads graciously. 

Despite the position of his head, Thrawn caught a glimpse of another figure moving behind the Emperor. 

The Eighth Brother moved behind the Sith Lord, flanking him the entire time.

As the Emperor settled himself into the remaining seat, the Inquisitor stood behind him, off to the side slightly, hands resting behind his back.

The Emperor gestured lightly with his spider like hands, indicating to the others to sit. 

As they settled around the table, the Emperor turned to speak to Versio. 

“Admiral, how is your daughter? Performing well I hope?”

Versio nodded, a small smile on his face.

“She is my Lord. Currently leading a fighter patrol wing.”

A smile, if one could call it that, appeared on Palpatine’s face as he listened. 

“Excellent news my friend. We are always in need of exceptional pilots. But now, to business.”

Clearly, the time for pleasantries was over. Thrawn had a feeling things were about to get serious. 

“Governor Saxon, how goes progress on project Duchess?” 

Tiber Saxon adjusted himself in his seat slightly before beginning to answer. 

“We are working diligently on reconstructing the prototype weapon built by Sabine Wren. In time, we believe it can be effectively used to ensure the loyalty of Mandalore to you.”

Palpatine nodded, before turning his gaze to the next person. 

“Rax, Versio? Are the plans for Operation Cinder in place?”

‘Operation Cinder? What was that?’ Thrawn thought. He had been aware of Tiber Saxon’s project, as the Mandalorian governor had asked for the Chiss’ opinion on it once. 

But what were Rax and Versio up to?

Rax coughed to clear his voice. “My Emperor, the contingency plan is ready to put into effect immediately, and all the necessary components for Operation Cinder are in place. Admiral Versio and I merely await the command.”

Whilst Rax spoke, Versio presented a datapad to the Emperor, who looked over the details on it briefly, before handing it backwards to the Eighth Brother for safekeeping. 

Thrawn watched as the Inquisitor took the datapad, his helmet tilting in wonder of what secrets lie within. 

‘Surely he won’t be stupid enough to try to hack into it?’

“Grand Admiral Thrawn, Governor Pryce. How goes work on the Defender Prototype?”

Thrawn had been so absorbed in what the Inquisitor was doing that he didn’t hear the emperor’s inquiry. It wasn’t until Pryce elbowed him lightly that he snapped out of his distraction, his red eyes locking onto the fiery golden ones of Palpatine. 

Blinking twice to regain his composure, Thrawn began to speak. 

“My Emperor, after the theft of my prototype, we moved the operation to a more discreet location on Ryloth. We continue to undergo developments for the new fighter, and in time we believe we will have a powerful new tool at our disposal.”

During his speech, Thrawn watched the reaction of the Emperor. He seemed pleased, at least pleased enough not to attack him. 

Then Tarkin spoke. 

“I heard that one of your Defenders was shot down over Ryloth. How can this project be expected to be a success if it can get easily shot down by Syndulla’s band of rebels?”

Groaning mentally, Thrawn began to formulate an answer. 

Trust Tarkin to stir up conflict.

“The vessel was an incomplete design, and according to all reports was destroyed by Hera Syndulla piloting the Ghost.”

The Emperor’s visage did not change. 

“Your experimental fighter was destroyed by a freighter?” It was Admiral Versio that spoke this time, bewilderment in his voice. 

Clearly he had never had the ‘luxury’ of running into the rebels of Phoenix Squadron.

Silence raged around the table, as everyone waited for Thrawn’s reply. 

Tarkin had a smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the Chiss’ situation. 

Then, an unexpected voice came to the Chiss’ aid. 

“Need I remind you Governor Tarkin that you lost your own personal Star Destroyer to the same people, as well as the Grand Inquisitor! You are in no position to judge Grand Admiral Thrawn for one small loss on what is an unfinished prototype.”

Every head in the room, save for the Emperor’s, turned to face the Eighth Brother, who still had taken a step forward the join the table. 

Tarkin had an irritated look on his face. Clearly the Grand Moff wanted to push the subject further, but instead he chose to relent. 

As the Eighth Brother stepped back to his previous spot, he threw a small nod of his head in Thrawn’s direction.

Had it been anyone else, Thrawn would have assumed it meant, ‘Hey, I got your back buddy.’

But this was the Eighth Brother. He was out for his own gain, no one else’s. 

“Keep working on the project then Grand Admiral. Let me know of any more developments.” Palpatine spoke, moving the discussion on. There was more to discuss. 

It was then that the Emperor turned his gaze to Director Krennic, who stiffened slightly, before his face took one of pride and arrogance. 

“Tell me Director, why is this station not yet complete? You said project Stardust would be ready for testing upon my arrival.”

Thrawn could almost feel the temperature in the room drop instantly. The look of pride on Krennic’s face faded, instead being replaced by one of concern. 

Tarkin however, once again smirked darkly.

“My Emperor, whilst the construction of the shell is not yet complete, the weapon is functional.”

The Emperor huffed before continuing. 

“The main weapon may be functional, but this battle station is not yet ready for a demonstration, as you promised, Director!”

Krennic visibly gulped, his composure failing him. 

From beside Thrawn, Pryce spoke for the first time, clearly hoping to relive some of the focus on Krennic. 

“Your majesty, what exactly is the purpose behind this installation? What can this weapon do that is so vital for your empire?”

Thrawn half expected the Emperor to snarl, to attack, to slaughter Pryce for her line of questioning. 

This was a secret project after all.  
But instead, a dark smile, one that was similar to Tarkin’s, came upon the Emperor’s face. 

“Tell them Director.” 

Krennic nodded, before reaching across the central table, activating a hologram emitter. 

The image before them was one of two large spherical objects. One was clearly the battle station, the other, if Thrawn were to guess, a planet. 

“The weapon at the heart of this station is a superlaser, one that has its power amplified by the large kyber crystals we have installed.”

As Krennic spoke, another hologram of the schematics of the weapon appeared, allowing the Chiss admiral his first proper glimpse at the weapon. 

It was massive in scope and power. Whatever it could do would cause unquantifiable levels of destruction. 

“With the amplification via the crystals, this station now possesses a weapon capable of destroying entire planets. In seconds we can eliminate all life on a planet, as well as all resources. It will provide us the ultimate edge against the growing rebellion. Any traitors, as well as rebel bases can be annihilated, crippling the rebellion, as well as sending a message to those that would oppose us!”

Thrawn very nearly gasped aloud. The power to destroy planets! To destroy entire cultures and civilizations! All to incite fear!

Had the Emperor gone mad!

“What about any innocents caught in the crossfire?” Yularen enquired, equally shocked by the revelation. 

“Collateral damage!” Krennic sneered, his face contorting into what Thrawn could only describe as a look of pure evil. 

Besides Krennic, Galen Erso sunk in his seat, clearly hating every moment of the meeting. 

Thrawn didn’t blame him.

It was then that the Eighth Brother’s warning came back to the Chiss.

How long would it be before the Emperor turned this weapon against anyone he disliked? Against other species?

“Once my installation is fully constructed, it will be the ultimate weapon. All will bow before it!” Krennic spoke again, an edge of megalomania about him.

However, as Krennic spoke, the Emperor stiffened. 

Thrawn could swear the temperature had dropped even further. 

“Your installation Director? The one that you have failed to complete on schedule, as you said you would?” Palpatine spoke, a dark edge to his croaking voice. 

Krennic seemed to remember himself in that moment, as he sat back down in his chair, not realizing he had been standing during his speech. 

“I promise you my Emperor, I will have it finished before these meetings are over.”

Emperor Palpatine remained still. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. 

Then, the Emperor snarled. 

“No, you will not!”

Krennic’s face took on a look of complete shock, as if he had lost something dear to him. 

“I’m, I’m sorry your majesty?”

Sidious continued to eyeball Krennic, his golden eyes piecing into Krennic’s very soul. 

“You have repeatedly made assumptions about the completion of this installation, and have constantly failed to meet your own quotas. Furthermore, you may be in charge of this project, but in the end it belongs to me and me alone.”

Krennic bowed his head in shame. “I understand my Lord. I overstepped my own boundaries. It will not happen again.”

The Emperor huffed again, before speaking.

“No, it won’t. As of this moment, Grand Moff Tarkin shall assume command of this battle station, as well as oversee the final construction of it. You are relieved of your duties, former Director Krennic.”

Silence once again raged in the conference room, as every individual took in the Emperor’s statement. 

Unsurprisingly, Tarkin had a huge smirk on his face, as was radiating smugness. 

Then, Krennic stood up abruptly, anger on his face. 

“No! I refuse to give up command of this station! I am behind its entire construction. It is mine and mine alone!”

Thrawn watched with baited breath. He knew this wasn’t going to end well. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Thrawn noticed the Eighth Brother begin to slowly creep around the edge of the table towards Krennic, unnoticed by all except the Chiss.

“I have spent countless hours and resources on this station. You can’t just take it away from me because it is behind schedule. Were it not for your ridiculous last minute demands it would have been finished months ago!”

Krennic’s outburst was unlike anything Thrawn had seen in any previous ‘Meeting of the Moffs’. That is was directed at the Emperor was even rarer. 

For good reason. 

“Then you refuse to stand down Director?” Palpatine spoke, his voice menacing now. 

Krennic stood tall, his chin outwards and upwards, clearly proud of himself. 

“I do, your majesty.”

Silence once again flooded the room. 

Palpatine broke the silence once more. 

“A shame. You served us well Orson.”

Then it happened. 

A snap hiss sound echoed around the conference room, and a crimson blade erupted from Krennic’s chest. 

The human gave a cry of agony, briefly looking down at the sight of the lightsaber protruding from behind. 

A cry of surprise and horror came from Galen Erso, who jumped out of his seat and moved away, falling to the floor in shock. 

“Orson!” The scientist called out.

Krennic’s head then went limp, and the red blade was retracted. The Director’s lifeless body slumped to the floor.

Behind where Krennic had stood, the Eighth Brother extinguished his lightsaber, replacing it on his back, before looking up directly at Thrawn. 

“That is what happens to those that oppose their emperor’s will.” The Terrelian spoke, before moving to retake his position beside Palpatine. 

Thrawn knew what the Inquisitor was saying. 

‘Don’t get caught!’

Thrawn had no intention of getting caught, not now that he knew what this weapon could do.

It was a deplorable weapon. One used by cowards who either had exhausted all other options, or just didn’t care about life at all.

Thrawn may have served the empire, but he did so with the best of intentions, in order to preserve all life across the galaxy. 

And the Emperor wanted to destroy it all it seemed. 

Just as he had destroyed poor Krennic.

“Anyone else have anything to say regarding this station?” Palpatine croaked.

Looking away from the fallen body of Krennic, Thrawn noticed that everyone at the table, save for Tarkin, had gone rigid. No one dared to move a muscle. No one dared to make a noise. 

The only noise in the room was the heavy breathing of Erso, who was still on the floor in a state of complete shock. 

They may all have feared what the Emperor would do. 

But Thrawn didn’t. 

“Did you have an intended target for this weapon? Perhaps a test fire of some kind?”

Besides Thrawn, Pryce gasped at the Chiss’ statement. What was the admiral doing?

“Indeed I do Grand Admiral. It is no secret that Senator Mothma is a key player in this rebellion. Thus, as an example, we shall target Chandrila first!”

Thrawn had heard enough. It was all well and good destroying a planet because a rebel base was on it. If he had possessed such a weapon during the Siege of Atollon he would have used it to obliterate the rebel base. 

But the Emperor wanted to destroy Chandrila simply because it was Mon Mothma’s homeworld. 

“If no-one else has any questions, then this meeting is dismissed.” Palpatine croaked again, a threat evident in his voice. 

Thrawn remained silent this time.

“Excellent. You are dismissed. Inquisitor, please find someone to clean up Director Krennic’s mess.”

The Eighth Brother bowed before moving out of the conference room, followed swiftly by the Emperor and Tarkin. 

One by one the other members of the meeting got up a left as well. 

Except for Erso, who seemed to be in a comatose state.

As Thrawn moved to leave the room, he stopped and turned to Pryce, a severe look on his face. 

“Meet me on the Chimaera later on. We need to talk.”

Pryce nodded in understanding, not saying anything aloud that might be overheard.

As Pryce left, Thrawn approached Galen Erso, bent down, and pulled him to his feet. 

“Come Professor, let me fetch you a warm drink, and then you can tell me all about the dissertation you wrote on crystallography.”

Erso seemed to respond, as his eyes shifted from Krennic’s body to Thrawn’s eyes, before the scientist spoke. 

“Yes, yes, that would be good. Thank you Grand Admiral.”

Thrawn noticed the way Erso stuttered lightly. Clearly the shock was yet to wear off. 

“My pleasure Professor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, did I forget to mention that Imperial characters are at risk too. My bad. ;)
> 
> In Memorium: Orson Krennic
> 
> In this chapter, we bid farewell to Director Orson Krennic. Director Krennic was a simple, yet highly ambitious man. His ultimate goal was to prove himself to his emperor, and he most certainly did. His crowning achievement, the Death Star, shall go down in legend as the ultimate weapon. It is truely a shame he never got to see it completed, and that Tarkin will get all the credit.
> 
> So Krennic was pretty much doomed from the start of this fic. He was too outgoing, and not smart enough to play the game of imperial leadership. I do feel bad about killing him so suddenly, but I felt that he couldn't really last that long. Sorry Krennic fans, please don't kill me.
> 
> Anyway, next chapter the team prepares to depart on their mission, but encounter an unexpected problem along the way.


	26. Schism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team prepared to embark on their suicide mission...  
> But someone attempts to stop them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So short chapter this time (and a rubbish one if you ask me), but I hope you like it regardless.

Today was the day. Either they would successfully attack a dangerous imperial superweapon, assassinate the imperial leadership, and live to tell the tale…

Or they would all die. It was as simple as that. 

And Ahsoka was ready for whatever they face, being it Stormtroopers to Sith Lords. 

Whatever the day brought, Ahsoka would storm through it, determined to reach her goal. 

Clearly, everyone else felt the same. 

The team had woken in bright spirits and immediately got to work, shifting crates full of weapons and other armaments onto the Ghost, as well as the explosives Sabine had prepared. 

If all went to plan, the young Mandalorian’s explosives would destabilize the crystal at the heart of the station, destroying everything around it.

And them as well, if they didn’t get off the station before detonation. 

This would all take careful precision, and Ahsoka was ready. If she had to think and plan on the spot, she would. 

Because that was what she did best. Adapted to the situation at hand. 

Watching from the cave entrance, Ahsoka observed as Rex and his brother shifted the last crate aboard the Ghost, under the direction of Hera. 

From behind her, Ahsoka heard footsteps approaching. 

Turning to greet the individual, Ahsoka spoke. 

“I think we are ready Cassian. You sure you and the Lartes will be ok here whilst we are away?”

Cassian wasn’t coming on the mission, and neither was K-2. They were to stay behind with the Lartes and watch over the assembled ships of the team for when they got back. 

There was no one Ahsoka trusted more to do such a job. 

“We’ll be fine Commander, you just worry about yourself. I’ve given Captain Syndulla the information from Galen Erso and the location of the battle station. Give them hell for me would you?” Cassian replied, both humour and a tone of seriousness in his voice. 

Ahsoka smiled and nodded, before beginning to move towards the Ghost. There was nothing left to say. 

Then she felt an arm pull her back. 

“What the?”

Ahsoka suddenly found herself wrapped in a tight embrace by Kaeden Larte, who looked beyond terrified, as if she was the one going on the suicide mission. 

“No offense to the others, but maybe let them die first yeah?” Kaeden whispered, both in a joking manner, but with an underlying fear.

“I can’t promise that Kaeden.” Ahsoka replied, returning the embrace. 

Kaeden pulled back, but kept her arms around the Togruta’s waist.

“I know you can’t, so instead just bring them back alive. You included.”

Now that Ahsoka could try to do. No! She would do it.

She hoped. 

“I’ll do my best Kaeden.” Ahsoka replied. 

Kaeden nodded, an odd look in her eyes. 

“Good.”

Then the dark-skinned woman leaned forward and kissed Ahsoka, gently but with passion. 

Despite herself, despite her prior thoughts. Despite everything that had gone wrong for her in the past, Ahsoka gave in and kissed Kaeden back. 

A few seconds later, Kaeden pulled back, smiled once, and turned to walk back into the cave where her sister was.

Ahsoka watched Kaeden go, a feeling of loss within her. 

She almost didn’t want to go on the mission now. 

But she had to. 

Taking a breath and steeling herself for what was the come, Ahsoka turned back around, and headed for the Ghost. 

**************************************************************************************************************

With the sheer amount of people in the Ghost, the freighter was packed. Various team members went about their duties, whilst others either lounged around waiting, prepared weapons and explosives, or, if your name was Hondo, looked around the ship for something to steal once this was over. 

Ahsoka had moved through the ship with ease, heading for the cockpit. She wanted a front seat for what was to come. 

Entering into the cockpit, Ahsoka was surprised by just how many others were there as well. 

Hera was in the pilot seat, as expected, and behind her sat Master Yoda, who looked far too small for a normal sized chair. 

The co-pilot seat was empty, and Ahsoka presumed that would be her seat. 

Behind the co-pilot seat was Kanan, who seemed to be mediating. 

Kallus was off to one side, reading various terminals and making adjustments where necessary. He appeared to be in charge of the more technical aspects of the ship, such as the recent upgrades. 

Chopper was also present, currently plugged into a terminal of his own, assisting Kallus. 

In a way, it was good to see everyone come together.

On the other hand, this could be their last day. Ahsoka didn’t want to think about what would happen if it all went wrong.

Taking her seat, Ahsoka glanced out of the cockpit window. 

They were already in orbit above Raada, and Hera was currently plotting the hyperspace jump they would need. According to the data provided by Galen Erso, the battle station was currently stationary in the Abrion Sector.

Hopefully, they would be able to slip in undetected thanks to the Defender IFF.

If not, they would have to fight their way in. 

Ahsoka was confident in Hera’s abilities. If anyone could get them on board, it was the Twi-lek. 

“We ready?” Ahsoka inquired, finality in her tone. 

Hera keyed a few more controls on her dashboard, before turning to look at the Togruta with determination on her face. 

“Yes. On your command Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka turned her gaze back towards the dark void of space. Breathing deeply, Ahsoka opened her mouth to speak. 

Only, another voice got there first. 

“We’ve got a contact coming out of hyperspace before us.” Kallus called from behind. 

Looking out the window, Ahsoka braced herself. 

Surely the empire had not found them? Not now!

A single ship emerged before them, and Ahsoka nearly gasped in surprise. 

It was not the empire. 

It was the Profundity, Admiral Raddus’ flagship. What was that doing here?

“A bad feeling about this, I have!” Yoda croaked from behind, concern in his voice. 

Ahsoka found herself agreeing. 

Suddenly, the Ghost shuddered. Turning to Hera in worry, Ahsoka shot a questioning look at the pilot. 

“They’ve got us in their tractor beam? What’s going on?” Hera replied, equally confused. 

Deep down, Ahsoka knew what was going on. 

Mon Mothma had found out her plan, and had sent Raddus to stop her. 

“That bitch!” Ahsoka mumbled under her breath, anger at the Senator growing. 

Then, a transmission came through to the Ghost. 

Before Ahsoka, a hologram of Raddus appeared, looking somewhat upset.

“Raddus! What the hell are you doing?” Ahsoka nearly yelled. Had the Mon Calamari gone insane?

“Raddus isn’t in charge here Commander Tano, I am. And I’m bringing you in for treason!” Another hologram appeared, this time belonging the General Draven. Ahsoka had only met him once, and it had not been a very positive impression, for either of them.

“General, we are on an important mission. Release us immediately!” Ahsoka hissed through gritted teeth. She could tell this wasn’t going to go her way. 

“A mission against the orders of rebel high command. Prepare to be boarded and taken into custody.” Draven snarled back, anger on his face. 

Ahsoka almost wished she could punch him.

Then Kallus spoke again.

“More ships coming out of hyperspace!”

Ahsoka screamed internally. ‘Now what?!’

She had been expecting the situation to get even worse, so when the ships emerged, she was even more surprised to see them than she was the Profundity. 

Ahsoka watched as two large rebel vessels appeared, flanking the Profundity. 

It took Ahsoka a second to recognize the ships.

Phoenix Home and Home One! What were they doing here?

Were they all out to collect some sort of bounty on her? 

Then, two more holograms appeared before her, clearly visible to Raddus and Draven too, judging by their looks of surprise. 

“Sato? Ackbar? What are you doing here?” Draven spoke, confusion and annoyance in his voice. 

Ackbar spoke first. “Stopping your trap, General. Have you told Commander Tano what you are going to do when you catch her?”

Draven seemed to grow angry at that comment. What was he going to do?

It was Sato who spoke next, addressing the crew of the Ghost directly. 

“Draven has orders from Mon Mothma to eliminate Ahsoka and stop the mission by capturing all of you. You have to get out of here!”

Ahsoka felt bile rise up within her. Now Mon Mothma wanted her dead as well?!

First the Jedi! Now the rebellion!

What did the universe have against her?!

Why did everyone inevitably betray her!

It was times like these that Ahsoka could see why her master had fallen. 

Perhaps he had been right!

Snarling at the hologram of Draven, Ahsoka spoke.

“You want me you bastard, come and get me!”

Draven’s face contorted in fury, before he shouted an order to the crew on the Profundity. 

“Weapons, prepare firing solution!”

Panic fuelled Ahsoka. They were going to fire, going to shoot the Ghost down. 

And there was nothing that they could do to escape. They were stuck in a tractor beam. 

At this rate, they would all be killed before they even got a chance to launch the suicide mission.

In truth, they would need a miracle to escape this situation.

“Phoenix Leader, this is Lieutenant Antilles, we’ll handle the tractor beam. Prepare for hyperspace jump.”

Ahsoka released a breath she had been holding in unknowingly. It appeared the universe still had some hope for her and her friends. 

“Wedge!” Hera called out in glee, grasping hold of the controls of the Ghost. 

“Phoenix Leader, Iron Squadron is with you. We’ve got your back!” Another voice came through the comms, determination present.

Hera spoke again. “Mart, it’s good to have you here.”

Ahsoka leaned forward in her seat, glancing upwards at Phoenix Home. From the hanger bays of the captured imperial carrier, five ships flew out. One was clearly the Sato’s Hammer, the freight that belonged to Sato’s nephew. 

The other four ships bore an intricate design.

They held an X like shape, and were clearly designed to be a better ship than the A-wing used for the most part. 

‘This must be the new X-wing prototype.’ Ahsoka thought as she watched the ships move with tremendous speed towards the Profundity. 

As the fighters and freighter neared the ship, they opened fire. 

It was horrific to watch rebel on rebel violence, but Ahsoka knew they were not intending to destroy the ship, but merely take out the tractor beam holding the Ghost in position. 

Seconds later, they succeeded. 

The dish that emitted that tractor beam shattered in two, and the Ghost was free for Hera to pilot again. 

The Twi-lek’s hands raced over a series of controls before Draven could react to the sudden change of events. 

Inputting a series of coordinates, Hera reached for the lever that controlled the hyperspace jump, and pulled it. 

Ahsoka watched as the space around her distorted into a wondrous blue as the Ghost jumped away from Raada, and the unexpected conflict they had encountered there. 

The rebellion had tried to assassinate her. And they had failed. 

Ahsoka would deal with them later. Right now, she had an Emperor to assassinate, and a battle station to destroy.

And unlike rebel high command, she would succeed, no matter the cost.

***********************************************************************************************************

General Davits Draven watched as the Ghost vanished before him, escaping the trap.

All thanks to the unauthorized intervention by Sato and Ackbar, who had promptly fled the system as well, along with their fighters. 

Mon Mothma would not be pleased by this betrayal from within. Hopefully both Sato and Ackbar would be punished for their insubordination. 

At least some good would come from this. 

It was then that Draven heard a strange whine sound from behind him. 

Turning, Draven was shocked to see Raddus, blaster in hand, aiming at him. 

“Raddus, what are you doing?”

Draven didn’t get the hear Raddus’ response. All he saw was a flash of blue light emerge from the blaster, striking his body, before her slumped to the deck of the bridge unconscious. 

Smirking at the sight of Draven knocked out, Raddus spoke.

“No one commandeers my ship from me General. Get some rest. I think you’ve gone insane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So no deaths this chapter, but in one variation both Draven and Raddus died.   
> Clearly I decided not to go with that though, opting for a simple defeat for Draven instead. More satisfying that way.
> 
> Next chapter will focus on the team approaching the Death Star, and a rematch between two genius strategists, but with a twist!


	27. The Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hera faces off against Grand Admiral Thrawn once again, but not all is as it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a longer, better chapter in my opinion this time round. Hope you like.

The flight in hyperspace hadn’t taken too long, but to Ahsoka it felt like an eternity. 

Trepidation was boiling in her veins for the upcoming mission. She had been on dangerous missions before, but nothing quite like this. This could quite possibly become a defining moment in galactic history. She and the team would either be remembered as a team that did the impossible, or they would be remembered as failures. 

Ahsoka hoped that it was the former. 

Taking a glimpse out of the cockpit window, Ahsoka allowed herself to be absorbed in the bright blue spinning lights of hyperspace. This could be the last time she ever saw it, so she wanted to remember it. 

Hera was still piloting the ship, and Kallus remained by his station with Chopper. 

Kanan and Yoda however had retreated from the cockpit, with Rex and Obi-Wan taking their place. 

“We’re coming out of hyperspace in a minute or so. Kallus? Is the IFF working?” Hera called back, clearly anticipating what was to come also.

Ahsoka didn’t blame her. This was a suicide mission after all. 

“Working fine Captain. We should just be able to bypass any defences the station has, assuming they don’t look out a window and see us coming.” Kallus responded. 

“Or they don’t recognize the IFF signature. If they work out it belonged to the Defender we captured…” Rex continued, throwing a concerned glimpse at Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka had taken that into consideration. If the officer on duty knew the IFF signal belonged to the captured Defender then it would be a lot harder to infiltrate the station. 

“Exiting hyperspace in 10, 9, 8…” Hera began the countdown. 

Ahsoka found herself gripping the edge of her seat tightly. 

This was it.

“May the force be with us!” Ahsoka said aloud for those on the bridge. 

Behind her, Obi-Wan repeated the mantra, determination in his voice. 

Seconds later, the blue vortex of hyperspace faded, and the Ghost dropped out into normal space. 

The Ghost remained motionless for a few seconds, the crew in the bridge staring in both horror and awe. 

They were a safe distance away from the object before them, but even still…

It was menacing. 

“It looks like a moon!” Rex whispered from behind Ahsoka. She agreed. It was massive, much bigger than she had anticipated. 

Though she should have expected the size really. It was after all designed to be a planet killer. 

“That’s no moon!” Obi-Wan responded to Rex’s earlier statement, a grim edge to his voice. 

Glancing at battle station before her, Ahsoka noted several smaller shapes floating around it. 

“Looks like security is fairly tight.” Kallus then spoke from behind. “I’m reading multiple Star Destroyers in orbit around the station.”

“Any significant ones we should know about?” Hera enquired, slowly pushing the joystick forwards and edging to Ghost slowly towards the station to avoid any suspicious activity. 

Ahsoka turned to look at Kallus, who was flicking through various panels with his hands. 

“According to the scanner, pretty much the entirety of the imperial high command vessels are here. Makes sense, considering the ‘Meeting of the Moffs’ and all.” Kallus replied, continuing to flick through various screens. 

Ahsoka turned to look out the cockpit window again. The sheer amount of Star Destroyers present, as well as their supplement fighter squadrons, would make it virtually impossible to muscle their way on board the station. They had to play this slowly. 

Ahsoka could only hope that the IFF would pay off, and no one was looking for any anomalies. 

Kallus then began to list off the various names of identified Star Destroyers. 

“So, Devastator is here, along with the Eviscerator. Then there is the Dauntless, the Avenger, and the Executrix and the…” Kallus stopped suddenly, his face going white.

Ahsoka threw a worried look at Kallus. What had caused him to stop? 

“Kallus, what is it?” The Togruta inquired. 

Kallus visibly gulped, before turning his gaze to Ahsoka, locking eyes with his fellow Fulcrum agent. 

“And the Chimaera. Thrawn is here!”

*****************************************************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood by the holographic table in the back of the bridge of his Star Destroyer. Opposite the table to him was his friend, Governor Pryce. 

After dealing with a clearly distraught and disturbed Galen Erso, Thrawn had retreated to his personal ship, meeting up with Pryce to discuss what to do in regards to the Death Star. 

Like Thrawn, Pryce was gravely concerned about the weapon, and what is would be used to do. Normally the human woman was quite brutal in her actions, but even she had standards. 

And blowing up planets was not something she abided by. 

The two had wanted to get Yularen involved in the discussion, but he had seemingly disappeared shortly after the meeting. That concerned Thrawn. Someone like Yularen didn’t just disappear for no reason. Either he was up to something…

Or he had been captured by the Emperor. Thrawn didn’t know which outcome was worse. 

Still, they had to come up with a plan.

“Are you suggesting that we defect to the rebellion Grand Admiral?” Pryce inquired, mortified by what Thrawn had been saying. 

“No Governor. We cannot be seen to have openly betrayed the empire, but if we discreetly leak the plans regarding this station…”

“Then the rebellion will attack it. I like it.”

Thrawn allowed a rare smile to come to his face. Screw loyalty. Screw his mission. This was about the survival of the galaxy. If Palpatine was allowed the use this weapon, then practically all life would be screwed. 

However, it was not as simple as that, as Thrawn had said to Pryce. He couldn’t outright betray the empire, not when he still needed their resources. 

So he would have to find a new way to inadvertently help the rebels. 

Leaking the plans would be one thing. But when they attacked he would have to find a way to guarantee they managed to get past the fleet. 

“Grand Admiral, Governor. We’ve got something you need to see.” A voice called out from the bridge. Glancing up at Pryce with confusion, Thrawn began to make is way to the head of the bridge. He had to maintain his image at the moment. He couldn’t be seen to be covertly working against the empire. 

“What is it officer?” Thrawn spoke as he neared the terminal the officer had directed him to. 

The bridge officer highlighted a signal that had emerged from nowhere. 

“A new ship bearing an Imperial IFF just dropped out from hyperspace a short distance away. I was unaware that we were expecting any more ships to arrive.”

Thrawn narrowed his eyes at the signal, taking a closer look. Behind him, Pryce moved up to see what the commotion was about. 

Thrawn’s crimson eyes flickered through the data being sent by the IFF. It was clearly imperial in origin, but it seemed to bear a familiar code. 

Taking another look at the code itself, Thrawn felt a rush of surprise at his discovery. 

“That is the IFF code of the Defender Prototype captured by the rebels. They appear to have moved it aboard a new vessel.”

The officer seemed to grow worried at the mention of rebels. 

“Are we under attack then Sir?”

Standing to his full height, Thrawn looked out the window of the bridge. 

It appeared the rebels had arrived much sooner than he had anticipated. This would be useful. 

Now all he had to do was play the part of loyal Grand Admiral. 

“Hail the ship.”

*************************************************************************************************************************

“We had to expect that Thrawn would be here. Let’s hope he isn’t listening for us.” Ahsoka spoke in a commanding tone, not betraying any fear. Thrawn would not be able to stop her today. 

Beside the Togruta, Hera continued to pilot the Ghost forward at a steady speed. If it came to a fight, then the Twi-lek was ready. 

Then, the dashboard lit up. 

“Too late. We’re being hailed.” Hera spoke grimly. 

Sighing in frustration, Ahsoka reached across to allow the communication through. 

“Commander Tano, Captain Syndulla, how, unexpected to see you here in this region of space.” Thrawn wasted no time when he materialized in hologram form. The Chiss always got straight to the point, without the needless messing around that all other imperials seemed to do. 

That was made him so deadly and unpredictable. 

“Grand Admiral. Been a while. Guess you figured out it was us huh?” Ahsoka spoke, a snippy tone in her voice. She knew from experience that Thrawn disliked that, and judging from his slight sneer, his opinion of her hadn’t changed. 

“I’m afraid I cannot allow you on board this station Commander. It must be protected at all costs. It was futile to come here today.”

If Ahsoka was not mistaken, she was sure there was a slight edge to Thrawn’s tone, as if he didn’t exactly like the battle station. 

She could use that. 

“Look Grand Admiral. I respect what you are capable of, but this station is an abomination. It cannot be allowed to be used, especially not by the Emperor. You of all people should be worried about what he will do with it. So you can either get out of our way, or stay and fight. It’s your choice Thrawn.” Ahsoka spoke with compassion, showing that she didn’t really want to harm Thrawn if she didn’t have to. Surely he was smart enough to understand the severity of the situation.

But when she looked at Thrawn’s hologram, his face betrayed no further emotion. He didn’t show any hesitance, nor remorse. 

Only a steely look of determination. He was too loyal, that much was clear. 

Thrawn then spoke one more time. “May the best Commander win the day Ahsoka Tano.”

The communication then cut off, and cockpit of the Ghost grew silent again. 

No one moved a muscle, no one dared breathe. 

After all the preparation to sneak in undetected, they now had to fight their way past Thrawn. That was easier said than done. No doubt he was already informing the other fleet commanders about their presence in the system. A coordinated assault led by Thrawn would be impossible to beat. It might be best to retreat. 

Then Kallus spoke up, confusion and worry in his voice. 

“Um, we’ve got a problem. The Chimaera just broke out of the defensive perimeter and is heading straight for us!”

Ahsoka span her head to look out of the cockpit window. It was true, one of the larger ships was moving towards them, creating a hole in the defence line. 

‘What was Thrawn doing?’

**************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn watched as the officers around the bridge went about his orders. Usually, Thrawn would opt for a more subtle approach. Allow the rebels to come to him instead of charging right at them, in a Star Destroyer none the less. 

But if he did that, then there was no hope that they would be able to get past the blockade, and Thrawn needed them to get on board the station. 

So he had purposefully broken the defensive line, giving the rebels a chance to succeed, whilst maintaining the image that he was defending the station at the same time. 

“This is crazy!” Pryce muttered beside Thrawn, staring straight out of the Chimaera’s window. 

Thrawn agreed, but right now, they needed crazy. 

The distance between the Ghost and Chimaera was closing, and soon the two ships would be head to head. 

No doubt Captain Syndulla would put on one hell of a show. Thrawn was almost excited to see it. 

Smirking to himself, Thrawn thought of another idea, one that would inadvertently give the rebels a helping hand. 

Turning to the officer in charge of navigation, Thrawn spoke, solidarity in his voice. 

“Times are desperate officer. Initiate the Marg Sabl manoeuvre. Let us see the rebels anticipate this!”

*****************************************************************************************************************

Hera Syndulla had to say that this mission had certainly started off suicidal. Going toe to toe with a Star Destroyer, let alone the Chimaera, was suicide in itself. She only hoped that the newest upgrades to her freighter would give them a fighting chance. There was no way Thrawn wasn’t going to go down without a fighter. 

Pushing the Ghost forward, directly for the Chimaera, which was also approaching at an alarming speed, Hera reached over and began to power up the weapons. The Defender weapons would prove useful in breaching the hull of the Chimaera, maybe even knock out a few vital systems in the process. They didn’t need to necessarily destroy the Chimaera, just render it inoperable. 

The captured TIE Defender weapons, in conjunction with the mounted laser from the prototype B-wing should do the trick. 

As the weapons began to heat up, Hera looked back at the Chimaera and noticed it doing something completely unexpected. The entire ship was tilting to one side. The underneath of the ship came upwards, whilst the bridge seemed to disappear over the horizon of the capital ship. 

It was an unorthodox manoeuvre, Hera had to say. It would allow Thrawn to protect the bridge, whilst simultaneously forcing the strongest armour on the Chimaera to take the brunt of the attack. 

Hera would have said that she was impressed, except that it left no real method for Thrawn to attack her with. What was the Chiss doing?

From behind her, Rex leaded forwards, his eyes shocked at what was happening. But it seemed to be a different type of shock.

“Hang on a minute! Is he doing what I think he is doing?”

Hera didn’t have time to reply, focusing on the fight to come. 

The Twi-lek barely heard Ahsoka’s voice reply, equal surprise in the Togruta’s tone. 

“I don’t believe it!”

“He’s stolen your move Commander! The one you did at Ryloth!”

“Yes Rex I can see that! But surely he had to know I would recognize it!”

“This isn’t like Thrawn at all. He’s playing completely into our hands.”

“I think that might be the point Captain.”

The ongoing discussion faded out for Hera, who was now completely in pilot mode. 

The Chimaera halted its position and waited for the Ghost. 

Whilst the main cannons were no longer pointing at the Ghost, several smaller ones on the underside of the capital ship were, and they promptly opened fire. 

Hera gripped the joystick tightly, swinging the Ghost from side to side to evade the cannon fire. 

Despite the upgrades, the Ghost would not be able to withstand the firepower of an Imperial Star Destroyer for long. 

*************************************************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn retreated to the holotable in the back of the Chimaera’s bridge as he was now unable to see the battle out of the central window.

That was fine with him. If all went to plan then he wanted the bridge as protected as possible from any damage. 

Glancing up at the other side of the map he saw Pryce throw him a tenacious look. The governor of Lothal was clearly concerned with what she believed was about to happen. 

Thrawn shifted his gaze back down to the holotable, his crimson eyes focusing on the approaching target. 

“Your move, Captain Syndulla.”

******************************************************************************************************************

The endless cannon fire was a nightmare to dodge, and so far a few shots had hit the Ghost. Nothing detrimental however, thanks to the upgraded shields. 

Still, if this kept up…

Looking upwards at the underside of the Chimaera, Hera formed a plan. 

She had to ensure that Thrawn was not able to warn the rest of the imperials about what was coming. That meant she had to cripple the communications array somehow. 

However, the dish and antennae that served as the communication node were on the other side of the Chimaera, protected by the manoeuvre Thrawn had pulled. 

However, in doing so he had left other vital components of the ship vulnerable, including both the engines and the life support system.

Hera was above targeting the life support controls. She didn’t want to suffocate out her enemies if she didn’t have to. 

But the engines…

If she crippled the engines, did enough damage to overload their power cells…

The resulting explosion and shockwave might just be enough to disable the capital ship’s key systems, knocking it out of the fight before it could call for support. 

It was strange that Thrawn had left such a weakness available. Usually he covered every corner of the battlefield with elaborate traps and schemes. So why hadn’t he this time?

Unless he had, and it was something so obscure that not even the Emperor could figure it out.

Still, she couldn’t dwell on that now. She had to get past Thrawn and onto the station. The whole mission depended on it. 

Steeling herself, Hera reached out for the weapons control, and opened fire.

***************************************************************************************************************

“Grand Admiral, we are detecting an energy spike from the rebel craft!” The officer from before called out in alarm. 

Thrawn didn’t shift his gaze from the holotable. He was too absorbed with how fast the target was approaching. 

Tightening his grip on the edge of the holotable, Thrawn spoke aloud in response. 

“Brace for impact!”

**************************************************************************************************************

The first volley from the Ghost came from the mounted Defender cannons, the ones that were designed to punch through shields and armour in seconds. Hera watched as lances of green energy erupted from her freighter towards the Chimaera, the shots landing on their target.

The Chimaera’s shields flickered under the impact, evidently taking damage. 

A smirk came to Hera’s face as she fired another volley of shots, this time aimed at the engines.

Again, the shields flickered dramatically, before suddenly collapsing under the might of the Defender weapons. 

Pulling the Ghost to one side to evade another barrage of cannon fire, Hera keyed the systems for the weapons again. 

This time, the shots were not absorbed by any shields, instead impacting on the hull of the Chimaera. 

Hera could see the damage caused instantly. Parts of the ship seemed to peel away from the hull, as if ionised by the laser fire. 

“Holy kriff! Look at that!” Rex called from somewhere behind Hera, evidently shocked by how much damage they were doing to Chimaera. 

Hera knew that Thrawn would not be happy with the damage, but she was not done yet. 

Keying the secondary weapon systems, Hera unleased a blast from the B-wing laser. 

A bright red beam of light emerged from the Ghost, heading directly towards the underside of the Chimaera. 

The beam impacted and cut a neat line upwards, scorching over the unique mural Thrawn had on his personal Star Destroyer. 

Small explosions rocked the capital ship, clear evidence of decompression inside the vessel. 

Pulling the Ghost to the side, Hera refocused on the engines. Firing another blast from the B-wing laser, Hera watched as the beam pierced one of the engines, causing a large explosion and shearing off part of the engine. 

Hera pushed the Ghost forwards, now intending on flying right past the Chimaera and towards the station. Hopefully she had done enough damage to Chimaera to render in out of the fight. 

However, as the Ghost passed by the now flaming engines of the Chimaera, a secondary explosion rocked the massive capital ship. 

Pulse of some kind seemingly erupted from the engines, catching the Ghost in its radius. 

The consoles in the cockpit flashed a blaring red, indicating that something was wrong. 

Seconds later, Kallus confirmed it. 

“Chimaera’s hyperdrive just overloaded. We’ve been hit by the resulting EMP!”

“Karabast!” Hera muttered under her breath. She usually wasn’t one for such language, but in this case…

Glancing to the side Hera saw the power readings on the Ghost dipping dramatically. The steering had locked up on her, yet they remained going at full speed. 

Looking out of the window, Hera saw they were heading towards the station, specifically what looked like a shuttle bay of some kind. 

It was clear they were in for a crash landing.

“EVERYONE BRACE YOURSELVES!” Hera yelled over the internal comm. 

Seconds later, the impact came. 

The Ghost crashed into the shuttle bay, skidding across the ground and knocking several supply crates over. The various consoles and terminals in the cockpit sparked and fizzed, and Kallus lost his balance in the impact, falling to the floor besides Chopper, who had been sent into a temporary offline state thanks to the EMP. 

Slowly, the Ghost began to halt its crash landing, and Hera was able to take stock of the situation. 

The majority of the systems were offline, and the damage to the Ghost would need repairs if they wanted to get back out alive, which they did. 

But they had gotten to the station. That much Hera was proud of. 

Then Kanan’s voice came across the intercom, humour and teasing evident.

“Really Hera, trying to upstage us all already by crash-landing?”

Hera didn’t reply, instead she got to work analysing the systems. 

An orange hand came down on her shoulder, squeezing it in support. Hera looked over the see Ahsoka, a smile on her face. 

“Good work captain. You’ve done your part. Now it’s our turn.”

Hera smiled in response. The Twi-lek was no fighter. She preferred to be in the skies. 

She would leave the rest of the mission to Ahsoka and the others, whilst she handled repairs. After all, without Hera and the Ghost they had no way of escaping the station. 

Hera turned back to her job, only briefly overhearing Ahsoka speaking to Rex. 

“Gather everyone in the common room. We need a plan.”

*****************************************************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn opened his eyes, his vision blurry from where he had hit his head. 

The second the engines had been hit, the Chimaera had been rocked by a massive explosion of some kind. Judging by the way everything, save for emergency lighting seemed to be offline, the Chiss assumed it was an EMP from his own ships hardware.

Allowing a small smirk to come to his face, Thrawn began to rise to his feet. Hera Syndulla had once again played directly into his hands, gaining him a victory hidden as a defeat. 

He could only assume that the rebels had made it onto the station. Judging by their past victories, it seemed likely. And this time round, Thrawn was more than happy to let them win. 

The Death Star was an abomination. It had to be destroyed. 

He couldn’t outright do it. 

So he would let the rebels do it for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, massive space battle chapter. I hope you liked it, and that it was better than the last one.
> 
> Now I'm sure some of you will be confused by Thrawn's antics in this chapter. I also know that a lot of you wanted him to defect, but i felt that that would not suit his character best. Thrawn has his own mission, and has no desire to defect. However, he has a common goal with the rebels in this story, the destruction of the Death Star.
> 
> By faking a defence of the station, and effectively allowing the rebels to get past him, he maintains his cover, but also succeeds in his goals, pulling victory from an apparent defeat, which is very Thrawn in my eyes.
> 
> Next time round Ahsoka and the team plan the first part of the mission, and Ahsoka is forced to make some difficult decisions that might cost people their lives.


	28. Planning for the Suicide Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team plans for what lays ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A non-action chapter this time around, but one that is vital nonetheless. Enjoy.

The Eighth Brother watched from his position by the side of the Emperor. The Sith Lord had been in deep mediation for some time, as if sensing something. 

What exactly that was remained unknown to the Inquisitor, but he had a suspicion it had something to do with the sudden summoning of Grand Moff Tarkin. 

The human male had entered the large chamber they were in. Since his arrival, Sidious had pretty much taken this place to be his throne room. It had a wide open window from which to observe space. 

In a weird way, it was sentimental. In another, purely vainglorious, much like the station’s dear departed director. 

“My Lord, you requested my presence?” Tarkin’s voice shook the Eighth Brother out of his thoughts. The Terrelian shifted his attention to the discussion at hand.

A dark sinister smile came over the Emperor’s face before he began to speak. 

“Ahsoka Tano is on this station, along with her rebel friends!”

That explained the sudden disturbance in the force that the Eighth Brother had felt. He assumed that was also what the Emperor had been listening for. 

Tarkin’s face scrunched up in disdain at the mention of the Togrutan woman. Did the two have some kind of history together?

“I will order all troopers to eliminate the threat at once my Lord.” Tarkin spoke, zeal in his voice. 

Beneath his helmet, the Eighth Brother rolled his eyes. 

As if Stormtroopers could stop Ahsoka Tano!

Sidious clearly felt the same, as he laughed cackled aloud before speaking.

“You can certainly try Grand Moff, but I have a much bigger plan in mind. Organize the defence of this station and eliminate as many of Tano’s team as you can, but leave her alive. She belongs to me!”

Tarkin clearly wasn’t a fan of the order, put complied none the less. 

“As you wish your excellency.”

The Grand Moff turned and left the so called throne room, leaving the Eighth Brother with the Emperor. 

“My master, excuse my impudence, but I sense there is more to this than you are letting on?” The Inquisitor inquired, showing the upmost respect. 

Even if he was trying to deceive the Sith master, he had to maintain his image, or it would all be for nothing. 

Beneath his hood, Sidious scowled, as if sensing something in the force. 

“Tano is not alone. She has brought other Jedi with her, including Master’s Yoda and Kenobi. How fitting that they should be here for my greatest success.”

The Eighth Brother’s eyes widened in surprise. Yoda and Kenobi! The last two surviving council members!

This was almost too good to be true!

“What do you wish of me my lord?” The Eighth Brother inquired again. 

Sidious turned his gaze to the Terrelian, his golden eyes boring holes through his helmet. 

“Remain by my side for now Inquisitor. You shall have a role to play once the Jedi arrive here. Let Tarkin handle the defence.”

Beneath his helmet, a sinister smirk came to the Eighth Brother’s face. 

“Of course my lord. Together, we shall destroy the Jedi and the rebellion once and for all.”

Aloud, he may proclaim to destroy Sidious’ enemies alone. 

But internally, the Eighth Brother felt a sick sense of glee. 

‘Today you die old man, for everything you have done to me!’

*********************************************************************************************************************************

The section of the Ghost that often acted as the common room for the crew had never been so jam packed before. Usually, a dozen people max would be in the room either hanging out together, or planning their next operation. 

Today however, the room was occupied by some of the best the galaxy had to offer. A collection of individuals, all whom believed in Ahsoka’s plan to take down the battle station, and assassinate the imperial leadership in one fell swoop. 

Ahsoka entered into the room with a fierce look of determination on her face. 

It was do or die time. 

And Ahsoka had no intention of dying today. 

Glancing around the room, she did a quick headcount, before heading to the table in the corner, where Chopper, who had since been reactivated, waited for her. 

The rest of the team noticed her entrance, and began to form up around the table, listening to the plan. 

Ahsoka glanced out over the faces. Ezra, the young padawan. The person she had once been. His face was young, full of confidence. He believed in this mission, so she would as well. 

Maul’s face was one of rage and anger. He was primed for a fight, and Ahsoka would let him have it. He had earned the right to be here more than anyone. 

Obi-Wan was his usual serene self, revealing nothing in his expression that indicated any negative emotion. Ahsoka was internally grateful that he his usual self, even in the face of impossible odds. 

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka relaxed herself, and began to speak. 

“I’m not going to mince words, the Ghost got us here, but she is heavily damaged. Captain Syndulla will remain behind with Chopper and AP to repair it as best they can for our escape. But we can’t worry about that right now. We came here with one goal in mind, so that is our focus.”

Ahsoka hoped she hadn’t started out too pessimistic. She wasn’t great on speeches. That was usually a Senators job. 

Gesturing with her hand to Chopper, the astromech beeped once and projected a hologram of the battle station for all to see. 

“Our target is the kyber crystal at the heart of the station. Destroying that should cause an overload that takes out the entire station. Sabine, are the explosives ready?”

The Mandalorian reached to her belt, pulling out a collection of detonators, showing them with pride. 

“You bet. Just need to get them on the crystal itself.”

Ahsoka nodded before shifting her gaze back to the hologram. 

“Now according to the schematics from Galen Erso, as well as our mysterious informant, the station is still under heavy construction, and thus we will have to use a series of side passages to move around.”

Saw spoke aloud, stating the obvious. 

“So no direct route then?”

Ahsoka shook her head. If only…

“No, however, the fastest route we have identified takes us through another shuttle bay like this one, as well as a large open area that is still under construction. From there, we have a straight shot into the crystal room.”

Murmurs went around as Ahsoka highlighted he path with her finger, dragging it along a corridor from where they were to another hanger bay, and from there to the open space mentioned. 

“Now, there are two main routes from this hanger bay to the other. I suggest we take the shortest route to minimize our time.”

It was a sound plan, but it had one issue that Ahsoka was unaware of. 

AP5 however took the opportunity to assist.

“I’m afraid that might not be viable after all Commander Tano. The Empire uses an advanced decryption code of the doors on this station. We cannot simply open it unless we were on the other side of the doors, in the hanger bay itself.”

Vos spoke up next offering a possible solution. “What if we cut through using out lightsabers?”

Fenn Rau then took his turn. 

“No good. We would get through yes but so would any imperial forces following us. We need to be able to seal the doors behind us. That means getting someone on the other side of the doors.”

Glancing between the faces of the team, Ahsoka felt a mixture of emotions. It was good to see them all working together to solve a problem. 

The issue was that it was a problem that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. 

Looking back at the hologram of the route she had planned to take, Ahsoka zoomed the image in for a closer look. 

The shorter route was blocked by the security door to the hanger previously mentioned. Glancing at the longer second route, Ahsoka discovered that it was the same deal. 

That meant that unless someone could unlock the doors from the other side, they would be stuck, regardless of the route they took. 

Narrowing her eyes, Ahsoka looked for another alternative. 

There! There was one, if not an unorthodox one. A small narrow passageway that led from the hanger they had crashed in to the one they needed to get to, and no security door. 

“We need to get on the other side of those doors. By the looks of it there is a ventilation shaft that leads directly there. Someone could sneak in through it and open the doors from the other side for us.”

More murmurs came from the team, and Ahsoka could have sworn she saw Rex smile proudly. 

Despite the odds, she had found a solution. 

“That vent will only fit one person, and they would have to move swiftly, lest they draw attention to themselves.” Saw spoke again, his eyes analysing to vent. 

Ahsoka had thought about that. In her youth, she would have been the one to go through the vent. Now however, she was a bit too tall. 

And even if she could fit, she lacked the technical expertise to hack the door from the other side. 

Ahsoka then heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, Ahsoka found her gaze drawn towards Yoda, who had a smile on his face. 

“Small I am, fit I could. Volunteer, I do.”

It was the logical choice. Yoda would be small enough to fit without any issues, so he could do it. But again, like her, the Jedi Master lacked the tech skills to open the doors. 

“I appreciate the offer Master Yoda, but you couldn’t get those doors open fast enough. We need someone who is skilled at doing this.” Ahsoka replied, gratefulness in her voice at his offer. 

Yoda nodded in understanding, despite being turned down. 

“Understand I do. Not the best choice I am. Still, option is there, if you wish.”

Ahsoka smiled at the green Jedi, before glancing back to the hologram map. 

They needed someone to go through the vents, it was the only option Ahsoka could see, and they were short of time. The Empire would find the ‘landing zone’ soon, of that she had no doubt. 

Someone who was small. Someone who could fit and move quickly.

And someone who had experience in hacking security doors on imperial facilities. 

A lightbulb went off in Ahsoka’s head. She did have someone who had done that before. Someone who had proven themselves time and again. 

The team might not like her decision, but in the end they all knew what they had signed up for. 

Crossing her fingers, Ahsoka prayed to whatever deity existed that should wouldn’t regret her following decision, and spoke.

“Ezra, you’ve done this sort of thing before. I want you to go through the vents.”

Ahsoka didn’t miss the reactions of the other members of the Ghost crew at her decision. Zeb bristled slightly. Through the force, Ahsoka felt Kanan’s trepidation. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw worry on Sabine’s face. 

But in that moment, Ahsoka only had eyes for Ezra. 

And Ezra only had eyes for her. 

“I’ll do my best Ahsoka.” Ezra replied, confidence in his tone. 

‘Good man.’ Ahsoka thought, marvelling at how far the young Jedi had come. He was no longer a boy. He had grown up. 

And Ahsoka was proud of him in a way. 

“So, which door is he opening then?” Kallus spoke next, indicating the hologram map. 

Ahsoka shifted her gaze back to the map, looking at both routes. No matter which way they went they would encounter resistance. It was a case of being able to withstand whatever resistance they encountered. 

Whilst simultaneously drawing any attention away from what Ezra was doing. 

To that end, Ahsoka opted to alter the plan once again. 

“Both. If we divide the team into two and head along each passageway, it will divide the enemy’s attention from Ezra even further.”

No one spoke, but it seemed everyone agreed with the plan. Dividing the team would reduce their numbers and in theory make them weaker, but at the same time the imperial commanders would have to handle multiple fronts at once.

If all went well, they would be so surprised they wouldn’t be able to muster an organized resistance, allowing both teams to slip through.

Ahsoka reached her hand out again, indicating the longer of the two routes. 

“I’ll lead one team down this route. We’ll have to move fast to get to the doors in time. The second team will go the shorter route. Hopefully by the time the first team arrives, Ezra will already have the doors open for us with the second team to provide cover.”

Again, no one spoke. But the nodding of heads confirmed that they agreed. 

Now it was just a matter of deciding who went with who, and who led the second team.

“I volunteer to lead the second team Commander.” Saw Gerrerra spoke. 

Ahsoka braced herself for what was to come. She knew it was inevitable since she had recruited Saw. 

Kallus was the one to voice the collective opinion. 

“Sure, let’s let the terrorist lead the second team. No offense, but pretty much everyone here would never willingly follow your lead.”

That much was true, Ahsoka realized. Despite Saw’s usefulness, he was unpredictable and not very well respected amongst the team. He was a good leader, there was no doubt about that, but in this instance, those following him did not respect his leadership style. 

Saw offered a retort. “I understand your concern Captain Kallus, but in the end it is Commander Tano’s decision. We have to respect whoever she chooses, even if you disagree.”

Ahsoka asked herself why she was in charge again. Who made it so she had to make these difficult decisions?

But in the end, she didn’t have time to debate it. Instead, she began to weigh her options.

Despite Saw’s skill, he was a no go. No one would follow him out of respect. 

Cham Syndulla was a viable option, but like Saw, his underhand tactics had given him just as many cynics as supporters. 

Maul could lead… out of fear. She doubted anyone would like it if she choose him. 

Kanan could do it. He had proven himself as a leader, but on a much smaller scale. Leading the crew of the Ghost may be one thing, but a team of a suicide mission was another. 

She needed someone with more experience, someone who could rally the troops in times of need. 

Fenn Rau had led before. He had commanded an entire clan of Mandalorians. Despite what had happened to the Protectors of Concord Dawn, Rau still commanded respect and courage. Sabine and Tristan would follow him without question. But would the others?

Did Rau possess the charisma the lead them on this mission?

Ahsoka’s thoughts briefly turned to Hondo, which shocked her. Sure, he was charismatic in his own way, but to lead a team on a suicide mission? He’d probably think the goal was to get them all killed on purpose! 

No way in hell was she picking the Weequay pirate. 

Looking up at the team, Ahsoka’s eyes locked with a familiar pair of hazel ones. 

She hadn’t wanted to pick him, not because he wasn’t capable. But because she wanted him by her side. 

But in the end, she knew what she had to do. There was no one else who commanded respect among the other team members like he did. No one else who she believed could do it as well as he had.

Despite her personal feelings, she knew who she had to pick.

In retrospect, it couldn’t have been anyone else. 

“Rex, you’re in charge of the second team.”

Her oldest friend didn’t speak, instead, he snapped into a salute. 

Ahsoka could see it in his eyes. He was more than willing to do this, and she believed in him the most of all. 

Indicating Chopper with her hand, the droid shut off the hologram, ejecting a disk that had all the data about the station on it and gave it to Ahsoka for future use. 

Looking back up at the faces of her team members, Ahsoka began to divide the team. 

“Ok, team one will be the following. Saw, Vos, Maul, Yoda, Cham, Sabine, Rau, and Tristan. The rest of you will go with Rex and be team two.”

The team members nodded in understanding, each mentally taking note of whose team they were in. 

There was nothing left to plan at this point, and no real time to waste. It was time to get moving. 

Ahsoka began to move for the exit when an energetic voice interrupted her. 

“Ahsoka, come on. We want a speech from our noble leader.” Hondo boomed out, his voice not betraying any fear. 

Even in the face of death, Hondo still didn’t back down. She respected that in a way. 

Turning around, she looked over the team once again. She really was rubbish with speeches, but hey, why not.

“I’m not going to lie to you all. There is a chance this all goes horribly wrong. But there’s also a chance it doesn’t. You’ve all seen what the empire is capable of, how far they are willing to go. Today, we have a chance to end this once and for all. Every single odd is against us. They have the home field advantage. But that doesn’t matter. I believe in each and every one of you. So go out there today and make yourselves proud. You stood against the Emperor when no one else did. No matter what happens, that is a victory in itself. So let’s go get another far grander one, and show the Emperor that his superweapon is nothing more than a hunk of metal in space!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to clarify:
> 
> Team 1 = Ahsoka, Saw, Vos, Maul, Yoda, Cham, Sabine, Rau, and Tristan.  
> Team 2 = Rex, Wolffe, Gregor, Obi-Wan, Kanan, Zeb, Kallus, Ryder and Hondo.  
> In the vents = Ezra  
> On the Ghost = Hera, Chopper and AP-5
> 
> Also, I want to ask you guys a question, just out of personal interest. Out of the characters featured in this story, who is your favourite right now? Do you enjoy the inner workings of Thrawn? Or perhaps Ahsoka and her struggle is your favourite? Or maybe even the scheming Eighth Brother? What is his endgame anyways? Whoever it is I would love to know, that way I know what sort of characters my audience likes.
> 
> Next chapter, the battle for the Death Star begins, as the team attempts to advance further into the station.


	29. Three Headed Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the real battle begins.   
> How will the team fare?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a long battle chapter. Hope you guys like.

FZ-279 had a horrible feeling that today was not going to go her way.

Normally, she would wake up, eat some food, don her armour, and patrol the station.

Her day had started out like that, and it seemed she was in for another day of milling around doing nothing.

But then all that had changed.

An order had come in from Grand Moff Tarkin. A rebel ship had crashed on the station somewhere. It had to be found, and the rebels dealt with.

So FZ-279 had set off in search of this crashed ship with her companion, US-135.

He was a mockery of a trooper to be honest. Always late, always messing things up.

It was remarkable that he had even passed his training, let alone avoided being air locked.

Still, they were allies, and hate him as she did, FZ-279 choose to search for him.

And it appeared that that had paid off.

Entering into a hanger bay, one that was still under construction by the look of it, FZ-279 spotted what looked like a crashed civilian freighter.

The ship was nothing impressive at first glance, not when compared to the might of the imperial navy. But on closer inspection it appeared to be heavily armed.

"That must be the rebel craft!" FZ spoke, her voice distorted behind her Stormtrooper helmet.

She broke into a jog, heading towards the ship, US-135 on her tail.

The two troopers slid to a halt when the lower ramp of the ship descended, and footsteps began. Someone was coming.

Raising her blaster into a ready position, FZ spoke.

"Come out slowly with your hands up rebel scum!"

The footsteps stopped for a second, before they began again, slower this time.

Then a voice called out in response.

"Now now my friends, I am no rebel. I'm merely a pirat… I mean entrepreneur who lost his way."

A strange looking Weequay came down the ramp, a bright almost cheerful smile on his face.

At face value, FZ almost wanted to believe him. But his outfit sang 'pirate!'

"Really there is no need for this. This is all a big misunderstanding."

FZ listened as the Weequay spoke, his voice not losing any enthusiasm the longer it went on. Either he was stupid, or really was telling the truth.

"Identify yourself!" FZ called out, gripping her blaster tighter in her hands.

Behind her US-135 did the same.

"I am Hondo Ohnaka, entrepreneur extraordinaire! And who are you my new best friends?"

Before FZ could reply, US did for her, making her groan at his stupidity.

"US-135, Stormtrooper of the Empire."

FZ wanted to facepalm. What was US thinking?

Taking a breath, FZ decided she had heard and seen enough. She didn't have time to waste on one Weequay stowaway.

"I'm taking you to the detention centre. They can decide what to do with you."

The Weequay's face hardened suddenly in a way that surprised FZ.

"That is a shame, I wanted to be friends. Oh well, but before you do that, allow me to introduce my friend." The Weequay spoke with a dark tone, indicating his hand back towards the ramp of the crashed freighter.

A deep menacing growl, followed by a snap hiss echoed throughout the hanger bay.

FZ turned just in time to see what looked like the devil approach her, a glowing red blade in its hands, spinning towards her.

It was also the last thing both she and US-135 ever saw.

***********************************************************************************************************

The two decapitated bodies of the Stormtroopers crashed to the floor of the hanger bay just as Obi-Wan Kenobi reached the bottom of the Ghost's ramp.

Surveying the deaths, Obi-Wan lifted his head to make eye contact with Maul, whose seething gold eyes were almost as bright as his saber.

"Really Maul?"

The Zabrak sneered and rolled his eyes, before stalking off towards the door out of the hanger bay his team would use.

Obi-Wan sighed, before he too began to head towards another door on the opposite side of the hanger bay.

The team quickly filtered down the ramp, heading off to join their respective teams, waiting for the signal to go.

Ahsoka meanwhile accompanied Ezra and Kanan, who were making their way towards a ventilation duct with an opening. As agreed on in the plan, this would be Ezra's route.

As the three approached the grate that blocked the entrance to the ducts, Kanan reached out with the force and lifted it opened.

"Be careful kid." Kanan spoke to his padawan, trepidation still in his voice.

Ezra flashed a cheeky smile at Kanan, who despite not being able to see it clearly knew it was there judging by his amusement in the force.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything you would do master."

And then he was gone, crawling through the vents towards his destination.

If all went well he would arrive ahead of the two teams, unlocking the doors for them to enter into the next hanger bay without issue.

"May the force be with you." Ahsoka spoke to where Ezra had been previously. Beside her, Kanan nodded, before moving to take his place in Rex's second team.

Ahsoka meanwhile turned her attention to the team she was leading.

Approaching the door they were to go through, she found herself by Yoda's side whilst Saw attempted to hack open the door. Everyone had copied of the codes for the battle station, thanks to the files given by Galen Erso. All they had to do was link into the system, and Chopper would manually open the doors from the safety of the Ghost.

Looking down at the green Jedi Master, Ahsoka suddenly realised something.

Reaching her hand down to her shoto, she presented Yoda with it.

"You don't have your lightsaber do you? Here, you may need one. I know this one is more your size." Ahsoka spoke with a trace of humour, despite the seriousness of the situation.

Yoda glanced up to the shoto briefly, before looking back at the door, waiting for it to open.

"Not need a lightsaber I do. Strong with the force I am. Enough that will be."

Had anyone else in the universe said the same thing Ahsoka would have severely questioned them. But this was Yoda. If he said he didn't need a lightsaber, she believed him.

Then Yoda chuckled lightly, drawing the attention of everyone in the first team, minus Saw who was still working on the door.

"Look after this though, you may." Yoda spoke, handing over his walking stick to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka accepted the stick with confusion. What was Yoda up to?

Then the doors opened.

Before them was a squad of imperial Stormtroopers, all of which raised their blasters the second they saw the rebels.

'Barely five minutes on board and we've already been found.' Ahsoka thought grimly. This was not the best start.

As the first team each began to reach for their weapons, Yoda moved with lightning speed.

The old grandmaster of the Jedi order pulled his hands upwards, and then pushed them forward with considerable force.

The squad of Stormtroopers had no time to react, not that they could against such power anyway.

Without warning they were all lifted off their feet, and sent flying backwards into a bulkhead. Their armour made a heavy clunking sound as it smashed against the bulkhead, most head first.

In the span of about of seven seconds, Yoda had eliminated an entire squad of troopers by himself.

Team one stood in silence for a few moments, before Vos spoke out.

"You've still got it old man!"

Yoda chuckled again, before accepting his walking stick off of Ahsoka.

Shaking her head in response to the demonstration of power, Ahsoka issued her orders to the team.

"Ok, Maul and I will take point. Mandalorians behind us. Saw, Cham, provide cover fire. Yoda, Vos, watch our rear. We move as fast as we can."

No one argued the plan, instead they formed to order they had just been given.

Hopefully, with force sensitives on each side they would be able to move swiftly, as well as protect each other from enemy fire more efficiently. No doubt they would be flanked at some point, and Ahsoka knew she could rely on Vos and Yoda to cover their rear.

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka moved forward through the doorway, her team right behind her.

*****************************************************************************************************

CLANG!

"Ow!"

That was the third time he had hit his head in the space of two minutes. The ventilation shafts were clearly not designed for anyone, save maybe a mouse droid, to move around in.

And not being a mouse droid meant that Ezra Bridger was having a hard time fitting through the vents, even if he had experience doing this sort of thing in the past.

Still, he didn't want to let the team down, especially Ahsoka. She had chosen him for this mission, trusted him the most with it.

After everything they had been through together, all the times she had helped him, Ezra felt that he owed it to her.

So he crawled.

The ducts were tight, but he had enough wiggle room to move around and turn corners when necessary.

Not that there was many corners. According to the map it should be a straight route to the other hanger bay. Once they, he would insert the data spike provided to him by Chopper, hack the security on the doors, and allow the other teams access.

Assuming they made it that was. For all Ezra knew they could already be captured or worse.

'No, I'd have felt it if they were.' Ezra thought to himself.

Pushing forward, Ezra continued to crawl, lifting his head to check the route in front of him again.

CLANG!

"Grrrr!"

Ezra was growing tired of banging his head on the low roof of the duct.

TING! TING! TING!

'Ok, that's a new sound!'

Ezra halted where he was. That sound was not him, and had clearly come from up ahead. But what was it.

It didn't help either that the vents were pretty much pitch black. He could barely see more than half a meter in front of him.

Taking a breath, Ezra strained his ears, listening for the sound again.

TING! TING! TING!

It was getting closer, and faster too. What was that?

Ezra was careful not to panic. If he did, it would bleed through his bond with Kanan, and his master had enough to deal with as it was.

TING! TING! TING!

Whatever it was was closing fast, coming right for him. That much was obvious to Ezra.

Reaching behind him, Ezra unhooked the torch he kept at his belt. Switching it on, he aimed it forward.

The beam of light revealed a spherical shape before him. It was yellow in colour, and looked light it was some sort of droid.

Then, the sphere opened, revealing a mass of metal legs, glowing red eyes, and various sharp looking instruments, including what looked like a buzz saw.

The sphere clearly noticed Ezra, as its eyes seemed to dilute in anger, before it charged.

"Karabast!"

*******************************************************************************************************

The hallway was full of chaos. Blaster fire crashed into the wall. The sounds of lightsabers deflecting fire echoed. The cries of Stormtroopers as they fell.

And this was supposed to be the short route.

Shifting between another piece of cover, this one a small piece of extruding metal attached to the wall, Rex fired a series of blasts towards a squad of Stormtroopers who were behind similar cover.

The corridors of this doomsday weapon had clearly not been designed for a full on firefight, but Rex didn't care. He was too busy improvising.

Commanding the second team had gone to hell the second they had left the hanger bay. Not because of the team itself, they were working well together.

It was the seemingly endless supply of Stormtroopers that were causing the problem. Even with the likes of Obi-Wan and Kanan acting as portable Jedi shields for the others, it was still taking a long time to clear the corridor of hostiles.

For every trooper they killed, three more seemed to show up out of nowhere.

And now they were boxed in, troopers coming from both directions.

Rex glanced around at his team. Kenobi was up front with him and Wolffe, trying to break through the line of endless imperial reinforcements.

The rest were covering their backs with Kanan.

"Ha ha, this is too much fun for me to handle!"

Rex nearly groaned at Hondo's remark. Could he ever take anything seriously?

"Oh this isn't too much. I once thought an entire droid encampment by myself. Now that was fun!"

Mind you… Gregor wasn't much better at it either.

"Would you two comedians shut up and hit something already!" Ryder shouted out in frustration, scoring a hit of his own on a Stormtrooper who was peeking out of cover.

Rex shook his head, firing another series of blasts at the troopers in front of them. They had to break through if they were going to get to the rendezvous point in time.

Reaching down onto his belt, Rex had an idea.

"Zeb, get your bow staff ready!"

The Lasat, who had been in cover beside Kallus, threw the clone a confused look, before seeing what Rex had in mind. A devious and vicious smirk came to the Lasat's face as he pulled apart his rifle, prepping the bow staff for combat.

Seeing a ready signal from Zeb, Rex turned back to the troopers in front of him.

Pulling a smoke grenade from his belt, Rex threw it into the troopers beyond.

The explosive detonated, spewing smoke upon the troopers, distorting their vision.

Then Zeb charged headlong into the smoke, the ends of his bow staff sizzling with energy.

Rex couldn't see through the smoke, even with the aid of his helmet. But he could see the distinctive purple glow of the bow staffs ends, and he heard the screams of pain as the troopers in the smoke were shocked and electrocuted by Zeb.

"Now's our chance! Let's move!" Rex called out, signalling his team forward into the smoke and beyond.

The team acknowledged his order, breaking from cover and dashing through the smoke and beyond.

'Hopefully the doors are open by the time we get to them!' Rex thought as he ran. It wouldn't be long until the group that had flanked them would catch up, with reinforcements no doubt in tow.

*******************************************************************************************************

Ezra's eyes widened in horror as the machine monster charged at him, deadly instruments flailing around with vicious intent.

In the confined space of the ventilation shaft, Ezra had no time to turn and crawl, and backing up would only buy him a few seconds.

He had to deal with whatever this thing was pronto, or he would quite clearly be ripped to shreds.

The confined space would make it difficult for him to use his lightsaber. Even if he did manage to swing it and destroy this malicious looking droid, chances are he would cause serious harm to himself in the process.

The spherical machine was closing now, its appendages growing closer and closer. It began to make a high pitched shrieking sound, almost like a battle cry of some kind.

Ezra wondered if this was what the clone wars had been like for the others. Facing machine monsters such as this on a daily basis.

Backing up slightly, Ezra reached his hand down to his leg, towards the holster that stored his blaster.

His lightsaber might now be efficient for this situation, but his pistol would be.

Internally, he thanked Rex for the training he had forced Ezra to undergo.

Privately, he wondered if he had forced the same thing upon Ahsoka when she was his age.

Gripping the handle of his blaster, Ezra pulled…

Only to find the kriffing thing stuck. Ezra pulled and wiggled the weapon around, trying to free it from its holster.

As he did this, the droid grew ever closer, its buzz saw spinning now, aiming for Ezra's head.

"Come on, come on!" Ezra mumbled to himself in panic. This was too closer.

Finally, after much wiggling, the blaster pistol came loose from the holster.

Moving his arm in front of him, Ezra pulled the trigger, letting loose a series of blasts at the approaching droid.

The shots hit their target, each one piercing the droid and sending sparks flying. The machine began to make a whining noise, as if it was in great pain.

Then, the light that acted as its eye dimmed, and the machine dropped, various pieces falling off of it.

Ezra stared at the hulk of metal for a second, as if expecting it to come back to life in a sudden twist.

When nothing happened, Ezra breathed a sigh of relief, and placed his blaster back into the holster it came from.

'That, was too close!' Ezra thought. He was supposed to have the easy job, yet still he was in danger, this time from being ripped to shreds by small spherical droids.

That just went to show how dangerous this mission was, and Ezra doubted that the droid was alone.

Still, he could do nothing about it, he had to press forward for the rest of the team.

They were counting on him after all.

************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka pivoted on her heels to deflect another shot from a Stormtrooper, angling the blast back at the person who had fired it. The trooper didn't have time to dodge, instead falling to his own shot.

There was a sick sense of irony when it came to fighting people with blasters. More often enough they would inadvertently kill themselves with deflected shots from lightsabers.

Ahsoka hadn't put much thought into it when she was younger. Droids killing themselves with deflected blaster fire was no different than them being sliced in two by a lightsaber.

Yet killing an organic enemy, a person, in such a way seemed wrong to Ahsoka, even if they served the empire.

'What about all those clones you killed on Mandalore in such a way?' A croaky voice said in Ahsoka's head. She knew that Sidious would try to screw with her on this mission. They were after all on the same space station, in closer proximity than they had been in years.

However, try as he may, Ahsoka pushed Sidious' intrusion aside and focused on the battle.

Not long after leaving the hanger bay, Ahsoka's team had run into a patrol of Stormtroopers, and with them, endless reinforcements.

The formation they had created held up at first. Maul and Ahsoka had worked in tandem was they always did, deflecting and redirecting what fire they could, whilst the Wren's and Fenn Rau picked off targets.

When a squad of troopers had flanked them, Vos had begun his defensive tactics, whilst Cham and Saw had picked off the troopers one by one.

Yoda meanwhile seemed to be toying with his adversary. One by one he would pick them up with the force, spin they round, and then slam them hard on the floor. It was a brutal, but effective way of dealing with the endless masses of Stormtroopers.

But after a while, the stream of troopers had proven too much, and the formation had been lost.

Ahsoka had ordered everyone to sprint down the hallway, hoping that they could reach the door ahead of schedule and hold the line there. At least that way they would only have to worry about one direction.

So the group had broken off into a sprint.

All except Yoda, who was not riding on Vos' shoulders, delivering force pushes and grabs to any trooper in their way.

If the situation wasn't so dire, Ahsoka might have laughed at the image of Yoda riding Vos.

Snapping back into her current predicament, Ahsoka twisted her arm to the right, spinning her primary blade and cutting a trooper who had attempted to engage in hand to hand in half.

She found herself running again, this time alongside one of the Mandalorians.

Sabine's brother was every bit the warrior she was, taking well placed shots that eliminated his opponents with ease. For the more serious Wren sibling, Ahsoka had to say he was just as skilled and outgoing as Sabine could be.

"Never thought fighting alongside a Jedi would be so fun!" Tristan called out to her as they ran, blasting another trooper who happened to be in their way. The hallways were packed with them.

"Well I appreciate the assist. You fight well Tristan." Ahsoka called back, decapitating another trooper as she ran beside the Mandalorian.

"As do you Commander."

Glancing ahead Ahsoka saw a trio of troopers emerge from a doorway, pouncing on Cham. The Twi-lek dove to the side to escape the attempted assault, firing his blaster in an attempt to hit his foe.

One went down before the other two troopers recovered, dashing for cover.

"Hey, bucketheads!" Ahsoka called out. The two troopers shifted their attention to Ahsoka, before suddenly finding themselves floating above the ground, suspended by some force.

Recovering from the dodge, Cham regained his footing, blasting the two suspended troopers before throwing a nod in Ahsoka's direction, and sprinting off again.

The team was separated, yet together, and as Ahsoka turned another corridor, she found herself facing one more hallway, with a locked door at the end.

Sabine and Rau were already waiting, as was Maul and Vos, Yoda now on the floor.

As Ahsoka slowed herself and turned to watch the hallway behind her, Tristan and Cham, followed by Saw, turned the corner.

They had all made it to the door despite the struggle. Now all they had to do was hold out long enough for Ezra to open the door.

Ahsoka only hoped that Rex was faring just as well.

********************************************************************************************************

Unlike Ahsoka's team, Rex and his squad had managed to stick together on route to their door, moving slowly and methodically between cover.

Rec had long since learned the intricacies of combat, and how to ensure everyone came out alive. He would call himself an expert, but that would be self-flattery, something Rex despised.

The slow approach had worked, as the group turned another corner and came face to face with the door they needed to get through.

"That's it, the door! Everyone go!" Rex called out to his team, ordering them forward.

Behind them, Rex heard the shuffle of boots and armour. It appeared another squad of Stormtroopers was approaching fast.

Rex was confident that they could hold them off long enough for the doors to be opened.

'Speaking of which…' Rex thought, as he lifted his comm link up.

"Ezra, we're at the door. What's your ETA?"

A few seconds of static came through the comms before Ezra replied.

"I'm at the door Rex, just need a minute."

"Copy that kid." Rex replied, ceasing the comm link in time.

The Stormtrooper patrol had arrived.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Luckily for Ezra, the hanger bay had been practically empty when he dropped out of the vents. Only two TIE pilots, who had been examining a TIE interceptor were present, and quickly fell to well-placed deflections from Ezra's emerald blade.

Extinguishing his saber, Ezra heard a voice erupt through his comm link.

"Ezra, we're at the door. What's your ETA?"

The seriousness of the situation set in for Ezra. They were not supposed to be waiting for him yet. He was supposed to have more time.

Either something had gone wrong, or he was behind schedule.

In that moment, it mattered little. Instead, he turned towards the door he needed to open, and sprinted towards the control panel adjacent to it, inserting the data spike Chopper had given him into the port.

"I'm at the door Rex, just need a minute." Ezra replied as he waited for the spike to begin hacking the door. Chopper could handle most of the decryption remotely from the Ghost, but he still needed Ezra present to manually bypass the door.

Ezra only briefly overheard Rex reply over comms before he got settled into his task. On the other side of the door, Ezra could hear the resounding echoes of a firefight. Clearly Rex's team was giving them a good fight.

Looking at the display before him, Ezra brought his hand up to touch the holographic interface.

As Chopper cracked another code, Ezra had to input the digits into the system in order to open the door.

Swiping left once, Ezra inputted the code slowly as Chopper completed it.

'7, 4, 8, 9, 1, 1, hurry up Chop!' Ezra thought as he worked as fast as possible.

Chopper could not hear the young Jedi's thoughts obviously, but somehow the droid did seem to increase in speed, as if he was getting to grips with the security protocols.

A few moments later, Ezra inputted the final numbers and the interface flashed green. The doors blocking the second team's entrance into the hanger bay slid open.

Chaos erupted through the doors as they opened. First through was Wolffe, dashing through the doorway to take position beside Ezra and provide covering fire for the rest of the team.

Kanan backed through next, followed by Zeb and Kallus, all seemingly focused on the situation at hand.

Obi-Wan came next, side by side with Hondo, who had a fierce look of determination on his face unlike any that Ezra had seen before.

Ryder was through next, followed by Gregor, who backed in slowly, firing wildly with a rotary cannon he had brought along.

At the end of the corridor Ezra could make out the gleaming white of Stormtrooper armour.

Finally, Rex backed through the doorway last, firing his dual pistols with precision, striking down a par of imperial Stormtroopers who had attempted to break through the rebel lines.

The team was through the door. Now all Ezra had to do was close it and seal it behind them.

Bringing his hand up to the holographic interface again, Ezra began to work on sealing the door with another set of security codes.

However, as he worked, his comm link lit up again.

"Ezra, its Ahsoka! We're at the door, and need it open now!"

'Karabast!' Ezra thought. Ahsoka's team was ahead of schedule as well!

He couldn't very well abandon the door he was currently at. He doubted the second team could hold off forever.

And if he opened another one then it would mean that the imperials were pressuring both teams at once. Not that they weren't already of course. It would just mean further pressure.

Ezra's eyes darted between the panel he was working on, and another near the doorway across the hanger bay, where Ahsoka and her team were waiting.

'What do I do?'

It was then that he felt an armoured hand grasp his shoulder and pull him back gently.

Spinning in confusion Ezra came face to face with Rex. Despite the fact that the clone was wearing his helmet, Ezra could feel the look of understanding in his eyes.

"Go kid, we'll cover you!"

Determination fuelled Ezra as he broke off into a sprint, heading towards the other door. As he ran he briefly overheard Rex giving orders to Gregor to finish closing the door, and Gregor complying. Hopefully they would finish the job without him.

As Ezra neared the interface, he slid to a halt and began to work, inserting another data spike he was carrying, and began to input the code as Chopper decrypted it.

The next few moments felt like hours to the young Jedi, as the sounds of battle on the other side of the hanger bay intensified. Rex's team was holding, for now.

"Got it!" Ezra called out as the doors slid open, allowing Ahsoka's team access.

The Mandalorians were through first, with Sabine coming to crouch beside Ezra, covering her friend as he worked.

Neither spoke, now was not the time.

A hail of blaster fire sounded down the hallway as the rest of Ahsoka's team moved through the threshold of the doorway. Saw and Cham came next, followed by Vos and Yoda.

Glancing through the doorway, Ezra spotted Maul and Ahsoka slowly backing up, deflecting blaster fire back the approaching imperials with lightning speed.

Ahsoka pivoted and snapped her white blades in precise movements, deflecting shots that made it past Maul back at the troopers.

Maul meanwhile appeared to be rotating his double edged blade at a nightmarish speed, much like how the Inquisitor's did. The rotation created an arc of red in the air, blocking and reflecting nearly everything.

As the two force users did this, Ezra began to work on getting the door closed. On the other side of the hanger bay, a shout went up from Gregor as he succeeded in closing the door.

Ahsoka and Maul made it past the threshold of the door then, with the Togruta giving a signal to Maul, who nodded in understanding.

Through the force, Ezra felt a massive build-up of energy, both light and dark, as if they were intertwined.

Then both force users launched their hands out towards the approaching Stormtroopers, and the force responded.

As if hit by some sort of monstrous storm, the hallway that Ahsoka's team had emerged from shuddered, and the troopers were sent careening backwards, many smashing again one another.

Rex and Wolffe then moved up beside Ahsoka and Maul, firing down the hallway to cover the forcer users.

Snapping back to his interface, Ezra inputted the last set of codes, and the door slammed shut, locks engaged. It would take a while for the imperials to open the door, and even longer to burn through them. They had time now to advance, hopefully unnoticed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ezra glanced up at Ahsoka.

The Togruta seemed unfazed, even untired, unlike other members of the team, who appeared to be taking a quick breather to regain their composure.

Ahsoka turned her gaze to Ezra, and their eyes met before a wide smile broke out on Ahsoka's face.

"Good work Ezra, I knew I could count on you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was quite the chapter to write. Hope you all liked the action.
> 
> Speaking of which, no one has died so far. Surprised?
> 
> Also, the two stormtroopers at the start are characters I made up to kill off essentially. Hope you liked their brief appearances. Also, virtual cookies for anyone who can figure out what the name US-135 means.
> 
> Anyway, next chapter the team encounters an unpredicable situation courtesy of Tarkin. And while I won't do this for any other chapter, I have one recommedation. Bring a tissue. :)


	30. The End of a Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team advances further into the station.  
> But then Tarkin shows his ugly mug,  
> And it all goes horribly wrong!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I hope you like this chapter.  
> Word of warning, tissues might be needed.

There was no time to celebrate their small victory, and clearly everyone knew that as they shook off any injuries from the first major battle through the battle station. Practically everyone had come through unscathed, minus a few bumps and bruises.

Only Gregor had an actual injury of some kind. His left leg had been grazed by some blaster fire, and whilst the armour he wore had absorbed most of the shot, it would leave a small burn underneath.

Still, the old commando insisted it was nothing to worry about. They had bigger things to worry about so far.

The 'welcoming committee' as Rau had called it afterwards was only the first piece of resistant the team was likely to encounter. Who knew what else they would have to deal with before their mission was over.

'Where the hell is the Eighth Brother?' Ahsoka thought privately in concern. She was half expecting the Terrelian to show up out of nowhere and make life hell.

Call it paranoia, but it was a real concern. Whatever game the Inquisitor was playing was of grave concern. If he was not aboard the station, then he would no doubt come soon, whether it be to help his master, or for some other inexplicable reason.

Still, she couldn't worry about him now. She would when he finally showed his face.

"Hera, we've made it to the hanger bay. Have you and AP-5 worked out our next route yet?" Ahsoka spoke into her comm, the rest of the team listening in.

Hera responded momentarily. "I have Commander. From where you are now you need to take the only other door in the hanger bay out of it. It should lead you to an area of the station still under construction. It's being held on by magnetic clamps."

Ryder spoke up, his gravelly voice full of hopefulness. "That should mean limited imperial resistance then."

Ahsoka nodded. That was a good bet. Ahsoka doubted that the imperial leadership expected her to take such a route.

Hera then continued to speak, giving instruction to the team.

"One can hope. Anyway, from there you should be able to access a side door that leads to another set of hallways, and from there, the centre of the station, where the crystal is supposed to be."

The plan was sound. Hopefully they would be in and out. Getting out might be harder depending on how far back they had to travel, but they were prepared for it regardless.

"Copy that Hera. We'll keep you informed, Ahsoka out."

Disconnecting the channel, Ahsoka began to move towards the doorway that Hera had spoken of, the team following behind her.

This time they would all be sticking together.

A few moments later, Ezra had the door open as he had the others, and the team moved into another hallway, before coming across another door.

Once again, Ezra opened it with help from Chopper.

However, this time round when the doors opened, Ahsoka found herself stepping into what looked like an airlock. The door into the next section had a window on, for what reason Ahsoka did not know.

"Hera did say this area was still being built." Cham commented from behind, moving cautiously into the airlock with Ahsoka.

"Yeah, but why the need for an airlock? They expecting some sort of decompression?" Saw entered next, concern in his voice as he considered Cham's words.

Internally Ahsoka agreed. Something was up. But this was the only route they could take, and Hera wouldn't send them knowingly into a death trap.

The rest of the team squeezed into the airlock, before it began to cycle through, spraying a light hazy gas onto them.

"Decontamination I guess." Ahsoka spoke, lifting her hand to see fine droplets of liquid on them.

"I can't see a bloody thing! My visor is all condescended up!" Wolffe spoke from behind, aggravation in his tone.

"Speak for yourself please! This is going to screw up my paint job!" Sabine retorted, equally annoyed at the situation, whilst removing her helmet to check for any lasting damage to the fine artwork on it.

Behind the Mandalorian, Kanan chuckled lightly.

"Arrghhh, my fur is all soggy. Now I have another reason to hate the empire!" Zeb snarled next, moving his hands up and down his arms, trying to drain any of the liquid from them.

Kallus laughed this time at the predicament of his Lasat comrade, who turned and thumped him lightly on the arm.

Finally, the airlock doors opened, and Ahsoka lead the way into the open space.

It was clear the area was still under construction. Scaffolding remained up, and sections of the walls looked unfinished.

There was also a gaping hole in the station, and the void of space could clearly be seen on the other side.

"Good thing there is a ray shield there." Tristan spoke to the group, indicating the large red shield that covered the gaping hole.

Ahsoka had to agree. It would be dangerous to work in such conditions.

Moving forwards, Ahsoka spotted the doorway Hera had spoken of, about halfway through the chamber they were in.

Indicating for the team to follow, Ahsoka entered into a light jog towards the door, before pointing at the terminal next to it.

As if understanding that it was his job by now, Ezra moved the insert a data spike into it…

Only for a jolt of electricity to shoot through the device, sending Ezra flying backwards into Zeb.

Repressing the urge to chuckle, Ahsoka turned to look at the terminal, before a hologram flashed to life before her.

Taking a step back from the hologram, which clearly resembled a person, Ahsoka resisted the urge to snarl and bear her Togrutan incisors at the person once she recognized him.

"Commander Ahsoka Tano, what a 'pleasure' to see you again."

Ahsoka didn't miss the tone of disgust in the word 'pleasure'. Mind you, it wasn't like she held a high opinion of the man either.

"Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, I thought I could smell you. Still not number one I see?"

Ahsoka would usually show respect for her enemies, even if she was a bit snippy towards them.

But Tarkin deserved no such 'honor'. He was scum, through and through, and she wouldn't waste such dialogue on him.

Behind her, the team tensed at the sight of the hologram of Tarkin.

The hologram of Tarkin rolled his eyes in disdain.

"As impudent as ever Padawan Tano. Did you really think you would be able to board my station without me realizing? Pitiful."

Ahsoka clenched her hands into fists at the mention of her previous apprenticeship in the Jedi order, the one that Tarkin had effectively destroyed single handed.

Through the force, she felt the sudden presence of Maul, willing her to calm down, to save her anger.

The Zabrak was right. They had bigger enemies to face than an upstart like Tarkin.

"I don't know. You didn't exactly notice all the other things we have done yet did you? But don't worry Tarkin, I'll be coming for you shortly after I'm done here."

Tarkin snarled again before speaking.

"Oh I doubt that very much Jedi."

Then the human cut of the channel, his hologram fading away before them.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Tarkin observed the map before him. The layout of the death star was complex, but surprising simple to those who knew their way around it.

To Tano and her goons it would no doubt be a labyrinth, one they would easily get lost in before they could do any real damage.

It wasn't like they possessed a complete readout of the station now was it?

Speaking of which…

Tarkin turned to address another individual who was currently in the control room with him.

"Jerjerrod, can I have a moment of your time?"

Tiaan Jerjerrod had been helping with the construction of the death star since Krennic had begun on the project. Next to the former director he was in charge of construction, and thus knew the station better than anyone.

"Of course Grand Moff, what help can I provide?"

Tarkin pointed at the map before him, indicating the area that Tano and her team had been in, and still were according to the thermal readings.

"This section of the station has been infiltrated by rebels, and we need to get rid of them. I have noticed that the area is still under construction, and help to the rest of the station via magnetic clamps. Is it possible to deactivate said clamps and vent the rebels into space?"

Jerjerrod's face was a mixture of emotions. Confusion, surprise and concern all in one.

"Of course Grand Moff, however we will lose a vast quantity of the stations exterior if we do. It will be a nightmare to rebuild." Jerjerrod protested.

Tarkin's facial expression did not change. He was too determined. The Togruta had gotten away from him before.

Not this time.

"But the rebel insurgents will be eliminated?" Tarkin spoke slowly and clearly, menace in his tone.

Jerjerrod nodded. "Assuming they can't breathe in space, yes. The process is slow however. They could still escape."

Tarkin took that into consideration. They couldn't go through the door he had sealed off, meaning they either had to backtrack, or go for the other door at the end of the room.

Both distances were considerable for them to travel, especially with the station collapsing around them.

He had them!

"Deactivate the magnetic clamps!"

******************************************************************************************************************************

"Hera, we need an alternate route. Tarkin had blocked off the one you provided?" Kanan spoke into his comm first, before Ahsoka got the chance.

After a brief period of static, and what sounded liked Hera yelling at Chopper for some reason, the Twi-lek responded.

"There's another doorway at the far end of the room you are in. It leads to a detention centre of some kind. Get there, and we'll figure out what to do next."

"Copy that Hera." Kanan replied, before nudging Ahsoka through the force for confirmation.

Ahsoka sent acceptance back. That would work.

Glancing down the opposite side of the area they were in, Ahsoka could make out another airlock door.

Beginning to move her legs in that direction, Ahsoka began to lead the team towards it.

That was until a horrifying sound, one that could be described as metal rubbing against metal, echoed throughout the room.

The floor beneath them began to rumble slightly, and further bangs and creaks could be heard.

"What is that?" Vos inquired, his eyes darting around looking for an answer.

Ahsoka had no honest answer for the Jedi. Did Tarkin had some sort of monster in this part of the station?

It took a few more seconds for realization to kick in for one of the team.

"No! They've deactivated the magnetic clamps! This whole part of the station is about to be sucked into space!"

Ahsoka heard the panic is Kallus' tone, and her response was immediate.

"EVERYONE TO THE AIRLOCK, NOW!"

The team broke into a dash, even Yoda who normally hobbled along broke into a sprint.

Unsurprising, it was the force users that reached the doorway first, specifically Maul.

The Zabrak turned away from the door and lifted his hands out, grasping onto something with the force.

"Jedi, with me! Hold the station together for the others!" The Zabrak yelled, his face one of intense concentration.

Reaching him seconds later, Ahsoka span on her heel and reached out with the force to assist.

The strain was immeasurable. She had held onto things with the force before, even lifted heavy items.

But holding a space station together that was being pulled apart by the vacuum of space was too much.

By now the other force users had reached Maul and were all straining to hold the station together.

Ezra and Kanan worked together, allowing their master/apprentice bond to amplify their power.

Obi-Wan worked in conjunction with Vos, holding another section of the station together.

Yoda was reaching out more broadly with the force, helping everyone along at once.

Glancing at the rest of the team who were running towards the airlock, Ahsoka yelled.

"GO!"

The team seemed to double their speed, each moving past the row of force users holding the station together.

Via her montrals, Ahsoka could hear the buckling of the station around them. There was no stopping the collapse. All they could do was buy time.

Glancing at her fellow force users, Ahsoka mentally counted them.

'1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.'

'Wait, seven?'

Ahsoka hadn't counted herself. What was going on?

On second glance, Ahsoka could not believe her eyes, and clearly neither could everyone else.

It was perhaps the most unexpected, and at the same time outrageous scene Ahsoka had ever seen.

"Hondo? What the kriff are you doing?"

The Weequay pirate had his hands out like the force users, with an intense look of concentration on his face.

"Helping!" Was all the pirate replied with.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"You're not even force sensitive you idiot!"

Hondo smirked, his eyes turning to Ahsoka's.

"I know, but I thought that in our most desperate time of need I might suddenly have awakened some sort of dormant power in me. Had to try!"

If Ahsoka hadn't been holding together a space station at the moment in time, she would have thrown her hands up in annoyance.

"Foolish pirate! Get into the airlock before I remove your internal organs!" Maul snarled out, his eyes glowing a bright gold. Through the force Ahsoka could feel the Zabrak struggling with the weight upon him.

Hondo, clearly out of fear of Maul's wrath, obeyed, dashing into the airlock with the rest of the team.

With the Weequay out of the way, all they had to do was get in there themselves.

A feat easier said than done. If one of them broke their concentration, there was a good chance the station would crumble, and they would all be sucked into space.

They would have to do this carefully.

"Ezra, get to the airlock and then turn and help. Kanan, you follow afterwards." Ahsoka called out, strain in her voice.

Ezra complied, breaking his grasp on the metal around them, which Yoda compensated for, and ran into the airlock.

When he arrived, he reached back out to assist.

Kanan moved next, relinquishing his grasp for Ezra to hold.

The force users worked through themselves slowly.

After Kanan, Vos made a break for it, and then Obi-Wan.

When Kenobi reached the airlock, he turned and reached out, grasping the station, allowing Maul to turn and enter the airlock.

That just left Ahsoka and Yoda outside.

Ahsoka attempted to slowly back towards the airlock whilst gripping the walls, but that only led to further sounds of creaking and bulking metal.

The section they were in was on the verge of collapse.

And Ahsoka could take no more, even with the support of the others.

"Strong you have become. Stronger than I ever anticipated. Proud of you I am."

Ahsoka barely heard Yoda speak, his voice too full of strain, which was to be expected.

"Is this really the time for this talk master?" Ahsoka replied, attempting to redouble her efforts in holding the station together.

"No other time we will have."

Suddenly, it felt as though Ahsoka was taken out of the perilous situation at hand.

What was Yoda on about?

"Made many mistakes I have. Failed many times I have. Wronged you, we all did. Apologise, I do. Years late, I fear I am."

Yoda had always been cryptic, but this was too cryptic, even for him.

"It's fine master, it all worked out in the end. Water under the bridge."

Yoda clearly didn't see it that way.

"Ashamed I was. Too proud to face the truth. Redeem myself today I will. One last act."

Ahsoka turned her face to lock eyes with Yoda. Blue met green, and Ahsoka could see in his eyes what was about to happen.

"What are you saying?" Ahsoka spoke quietly, despite the situation.

Around them, the station continued to make creaking sounds.

"End here, my path does. But continues on, yours does. Allow me to do you this Ahsoka."

Fear shot through Ahsoka. Surely he wasn't about to…

She wouldn't let him!

"No, you can't!"

Yoda smiled peacefully, despite the strain he was under.

"Not your choice it is, but mine. Stop me, you cannot! One with the force, I am, and the force, with me, it is."

Behind her, Ahsoka could hear her team yelling for both her and Yoda to get into the airlock.

But at that moment, she was too preoccupied with Yoda's words, and what she knew he was about to do.

"No!" Ahsoka called out again in vain.

But Yoda had clearly made up his mind.

"May the force be with you, Ahsoka Tano."

And then it happened. Yoda lifted one clawed hand towards Ahsoka, and pushed.

The impact of the force push was not designed to harm Ahsoka, but rather get her to where she needed to be.

The Togruta was flung through the air into the airlock, landing beside Rex, who bent down to help her up.

Ahsoka got a brief glimpse of Yoda as he made a swiping motion with his hand, and the airlock door slammed shut.

Seconds later, a rumble shook the entirety of the battle station, knocking some of the occupants of the airlock off their feet.

Ahsoka regained her balance immediately, and dashed towards the door that had shut, glancing out the window, expecting to see Yoda holding the station together.

Instead, there was nothing but the void of black space, with various chunk of metal floating freely.

And Yoda was nowhere to be seen.

Staring out of the window, Ahsoka said nothing, clearly in shock.

Behind her, no one spoke either.

Only one emotion seemed to be present in the airlock at that moment.

Shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Memorium: Jedi Grandmaster Yoda
> 
> There are many words that can be used to describe Yoda.
> 
> Small, green, powerful, wise (debatable at best).
> 
> But the one that always sticks with me is kind. He is generally a kind person, for someone who is over 900 years old.
> 
> But he also knows when he can do no more, and that is why he chose to sacrifice himself for the greator good. He trusts in Ahsoka to see it through to the end, even in his absense.
> 
> So goodbye for now Master Yoda. Till we all meet again.
> 
> I hope you all liked this chapter, despite what happened to our favourite green Jedi.   
> Next time round, the team deals with the loss of Yoda, and we pop in on Thrawn to see how he is doing.


	31. Alternate Routes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn assess the damage to the Chimaera, as well as Governor Pryce,  
> And the team pushes further into the Death Star despite recent losses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter. Little action in this one, but still important stuff. Enjoy.

Thrawn stood on the bridge of the Chimaera, waiting for the report to come in. After the Ghost had flown past and damaged his Star Destroyer, Thrawn had ordered his bridge crew to assemble a damage report, so he could assess the damage sustained in the attack and figure out what was next.

By now he assumed that the rebels were on board the station, and no doubt Tarkin was attempting to put up a fight.

Secretly, Thrawn hoped that Tarkin would meet his downfall. If there was one thing the rebels were good at, it was undermining well respected imperial commanders. They had done it to him time and again.

And whilst he was not actively defecting, he was willing to let them have a victory today.

Because in the long run this station was a threat to Thrawn's people, and Thrawn's people would always come first to him.

He wondered if the rebels, specifically the non-human ones felt the same. Syndulla had proved time and again that she would sacrifice her past for her present. But what about Tano? Would she rush to Shili's aid if attacked?

Whatever she would do was of trivial concern right now however, as an officer approached the Chiss, datapad in hand.

"Officer, have you completed your report on the damage sustained?" Thrawn spoke, as calm as ever.

"Yes Grand Admiral. The Chimaera has taken extensive damage in multiple sections. Hull breaches in numerous decks led to decompression. The hyperdrive also overloaded and disabled many of the ships key systems, such as weapons, engines and communications. We will need to make repairs to the separate nodes in order for them to each function. Currently the Chimaera is running off of its backup generators, but they do not provide enough power to return the ship to a fully operational condition."

It was a lot of information to take in in a short space of time, but Thrawn had suspected as much. The Chimaera had taken more damage than he had anticipated.

Still, the ship wasn't destroyed, and he wasn't dead.

That reminded him of another situation that had arisen during the attack.

"What about Governor Pryce's condition?"

Thrawn would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned about his friend's condition. When the explosion had rocked the Chimaera, many had been thrown off their feet. Thrawn too had fallen, hitting his head on the floor, leaving a nasty purple bruise on his skin.

'At least it wasn't a broken nose again!'

However, Pryce had not been so lucky. She had not only been knocked off her feet, but down headfirst into one of the lower levels of the bridge. She had hit the floor with a sickening crunch, one that caused even the hardiest of people to grimace.

Without waiting for a medical crew, Thrawn had jumped to the assistance, ascertaining Pryce's condition, and prepping her for med bay. When a medical team had arrived they had carted her off towards the med bay.

Thrawn had heard nothing since.

The officer spoke again.

"According to the head doctor, Governor Pryce has sustained a severe head injury. The force of the impact led to some internal bleeding in the head, which has since been stopped, however the Governor remains in a comatose state for now. They are unsure how long it will be until she awakens, if she ever does."

Thrawn refused to show emotion. He refused to show despair due to the plight of his friend.

All he could do was wait and see, and ensure that Pryce received the best medical attention she deserved.

"Re-route as much power to the med bay as possible to help the wounded. Focus on repairing engines and comms for now. Weapons and shielding are not important as it stands." Thrawn spoke, his commanding tone evident to the officer, who quickly snapped off a salute, before heading off to complete his task.

Turning back to survey the state of the bridge, Thrawn brought his hand to his head to rub the bruise gently. He had a slight headache, but nothing that was too serious.

He had to focus on getting Chimaera back into operation status, before questions were raised.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Shock.

Horror.

Despair.

Anger.

Those were the emotions Ahsoka Tano was feeling.

Those were the emotions that everyone was feeling.

Ahsoka stared out the window at the empty void of space.

Yoda, gone.

Yoda was gone.

How could this happen?!

She didn't move, found she couldn't. Even after everything that had happened between the two of them, Ahsoka felt nothing but remorse over Yoda's apparent sacrifice.

And it had been a sacrifice. Yoda had chosen to ensure the team could continue.

And Ahsoka would honour that choice.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the team.

Their faces all showed a similar reaction to hers, in particular the other force users present.

Obi-Wan and Vos bowed their heads in respect. Ezra's mouth seemed to be stuck gaping open at what had occurred.

Kanan remained unmoved, but through the force Ahsoka could feel his despair. She didn't need to see his eyes to be able to read the pain he was going through.

Even Maul seemed to be showing some remorse at the death of a well respect Jedi Master, a far cry from what he had been like when she had first met him.

The rest of the team, despite not being force sensitive, were all grieving also. The clones had removed their helmets in signs of respect. Saw and Cham stood tall, their faces stoic.

The rest seemed to be unsure of what to do next.

But they had a plan. They were to proceed to the detention centre ahead.

Taking another breath, Ahsoka spoke.

"We need to keep moving, he would want us to. The detention centre is our goal. From there, we can plan ahead further."

No one replied verbally, merely choosing various nods or hand gestures to acknowledge.

And Ahsoka was fine with that. This was not the time for sentimental speeches about loss. They all knew this was a possibility.

But Yoda of all people? First to go?

Ahsoka would never have imagined.

Steeling herself, Ahsoka moved away from the airlock door, and headed into the passageways beyond, the team following in her wake.

One thought came to the Togruta's mind as she closed in on the door to the detention facility

'Whoever is guarding this place is about to have a really bad day.'

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Lieutenant Brom Titus hated his situation.

Once, he had been a respected Admiral, in charge of a top secret program of a top secret ship. The Interdictor was supposed to be the crowning achievement of the imperial navy. A vessel capable of nullifying the effects of hyperspace.

First tests had proved promising, and it seemed at the time that Titus was on route for another promotion.

And then, he had arrived. The boy, the Jedi.

Ezra Bridger.

He had escaped captivity. Made a mockery of his men.

And destroyed his prototype Interdictor.

And Titus had been held responsible for the loss, leading to his demotion to Commander.

From there, he had been relegated to a world in the middle of nowhere, and the once respected Admiral had become the head of a scrap facility!

The hubris was too much for Titus to take. He deserved better than this!

But still, he had his rank, and he had people who listened to him.

He was still respected.

And then, Bridger had shown up again, destroying his station and further shaming him in the eyes of the leaders of the empire.

Thus, they had one again demoted him to Lieutenant, stripping away any real sense of authority he had and placing him in charge of a simple detention centre.

All he had to do was watch over the prisoners.

'I deserve better than this travesty!' Titus thought to himself.

At least things were peaceful. After all, what could go wrong?

It was then that the doors at the far end of the detention centre opened, and a figure strolled in.

Turning to face the new arrival, Titus froze at the sight of the person as he identified him.

"You have got to be kriffing kidding me!" Titus yelled aloud as he reached for the alarm.

But it was no good. The boy, Ezra Bridger, was here again to ruin his day. The young Jedi had lifted his hand, grasping Titus with some unspeakable power, and pulled him to the floor, away from the alarm.

Rising to his knees in defeat, Titus huffed.

'How predictable.'

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka moved into the detention centre behind Ezra, who had opened the door and taken point, disarming an imperial officer along the way.

The human was now on his knees before them, as the rest of the team filtered into the room, spreading out.

Ahsoka moved with Ezra, approaching the downed imperial officer.

What surprised Ezra was that he seemed to recognize the man.

"Brom Titus? How the mighty have fallen!" The young Jedi mocked in an amusing manner. There was no hidden hatred for the man in his tone, by rather a sense of irony about it.

The imperial officer, the one called Titus, created a look of despair and hopelessness on his face before he replied.

"You just can't leave me alone can you? What is your problem with me boy?!"

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his plea. He was an imperial! He willingly served a tyrannical, racist regime! He was no better than Sidious!

'Calm yourself, Lady Tano.' Maul's voice echoed in her head suddenly, bringing Ahsoka back to reality. She couldn't afford such dark thoughts at this moment. But she would put the situation to good use.

"Are you keeping any prisoners here?" Ahsoka enquired, her tone commanding.

Titus's gaze turned to her, a sneer coming onto his expression.

"I'm not telling you anything, rebel scum!"

She had expected this, and she a solution to such a situation. If they would not cooperate with her…

"I tried to give you an out Titus. Maul, come over here a second." Ahsoka spoke aloud, gesturing to her Zabrak comrade, who promptly moved towards them, a dark expression on his face.

"You require my services Lady Tano?" Maul asked when he was within earshot.

Ahsoka shifted her head in Titus' direction before speaking.

"I get the feeling that our new friend here is keeping prisoners. He won't tell me about them, nor will he give me to code to open the cells. Would you get them for me instead?"

To someone like Titus, it seemed to be a harmless request from a person who could not be bothered to do it themselves.

To the force sensitives in the room however, it was a much more frightening prospect.

A sinister smile came to Maul's face as he nodded in acceptance, before moving towards Titus menacingly.

Titus' eyes seemed to shift in fear as Maul approached. What was the Zabrak about to do to him?

When he was right in front of Titus, Maul rose his hand to the imperial's face, and delved deep into the darkside of the force.

Maul pushed into Titus' mind forcibly, breaking through any defences with ease and malicious intent, before routing around in the memories for the answers they needed.

Titus' began to groan in pain, his own hands coming to claw at his head, as if trying to get something off of it.

Or out of it.

"Yes, yes. He is keeping prisoners here. Wookiees if I am not mistaken. But why?" Maul began, his eyes glowing bright gold in fury.

"Wha… what are you doing to me?" Titus spoke in stutters, still clawing at his head.

"Oh, slave labour, to build this station! How disgraceful! I almost admire that, almost!"

Titus released a gasp of pain. "Get out of my head!"

Maul continued onwards, pushing deeper into Titus' head, probing for the code.

After a few more painstaking moments for Titus', Maul found what he was looking for.

"Ah, got you!"

Then, as fast as he had entered, Maul pulled out of Titus' head. The imperial released another yell of agony, before collapsing to the floor, out cold from the mental intrusion.

Maul stepped back from Titus' form, turning to a nearby control panel, and entering a code.

With a resounding clang, the various doors that acted as cells slid open.

"Good work Maul." Ahsoka spoke to her unlikely friend, before moving towards one of the now open cells to glance inside.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light within the cell, Ahsoka could make out a trio of tall, hairy figures.

Wookiees.

The Wookiees saw Ahsoka, and after releasing a series of growls and whines in their language, backed up away from the Togruta.

Ahsoka knew they would be scared. Being held captive aboard an imperial space station, and forced to work on its construction would be enough for anyone to be suspicious of new people.

But Ahsoka was not here to harm the Wookiees.

Instead, she could set them free.

Clearing her throat, Ahsoka spoke.

"Can any of you understand me? I'm not here to hurt you."

Ahsoka hoped that at least one of the Wookiees understood basic. She assumed they did, otherwise they would have a hard time understanding their imperial masters.

One of the Wookiees, a tall grey furred one nodded, shielding the other two behind her.

[Yes, I understand basic. You understand me?]

The Wookiee language was a complicated one, full of guttural growls and other sounds. It was times like these that Ahsoka was glad she understood Shyriiwook. It had helped her in the past, and now it seemed it would help her once again.

"Yes, I do. I'm here to free you all from the empire. What's your name?" Ahsoka spoke softly, showing nothing but kindness, something that she doubted these Wookiees had seen in a long time.

[I am Custos. You free us? Why?]

"It's what I do. My name is Ahsoka. I'm on a mission to destroy this station, but I'm going to get you all out of here as well. How many of you are there here?" Ahsoka continued, feeling as though she had made some headway with the female Wookiee now that she had learned her name.

[Most of pack is dead. Died under strain of work. Only seven of us left now.]

Remorse filled Ahsoka. All this time she had been preparing for this mission, and innocent Wookiees had been dying.

"Custos, can you talk to your people? Get them to understand that we are not going to harm them?" Ahsoka inquired gesturing around the detention centre. Through her montrals, Ahsoka had picked up on movement in the other cells, and she guessed they was the rest of the Wookiee prisoners.

[You really help us? Set us free?]

Ahsoka nodded, a sincere look on her face.

"I promise."

Custos seemed to contemplate what Ahsoka had said, before turning to her other two cell mates.

[Inform the others. Follow the Togruta and her team to safety. Nothing to fear. They are friends.]

Ahsoka moved out of the cell as the Wookiees dispersed into the others cells, informing their own kind of the recent events.

Ahsoka meanwhile moved to rejoin her team, who were waiting for her.

As she neared them, she reached for her comm link.

"Hera, we made it to the detention centre and have freed some captive Wookiees. What's our route?"

There was more momentarily static on the other end of the comm link, and for a second dread filled Ahsoka.

Had something happened to Hera?

Then, a voice came through in reply, just not the one everyone was anticipating.

"Oh, Commander Tano, apologies for the delay. Captain Syndulla and Chopper are currently working on repairs. May I be of assistance instead?" AP-5 spoke, his monotone voice ever a strange source of comfort.

"No worries AP. Can you look at the map and determine our best course of action to get to the crystal?"

The sounds of fumbling on the other side of the comm link occurred again as AP-5 analysed the map he had, before the droid began to reply.

"From where you are you need to get to another set of shuttle bays that are adjacent to one another. From the detention centre you need to access the turbolift at the far end of the room. It should take you to a series of bridges across a wide open space. From there, you will be able to access the first shuttle bay."

The team listened to AP-5's description of what lay ahead. It would be dangerous to cross such a distance with the freed prisoners, let alone ensuring that the team survived as well.

But that also brought up another problem. How were they going to get into the next shuttle bay? Surely it would be locked like the last one was?

"Don't tell me I need to go crawling through the vents again?" Ezra spoke out in annoyance. He may have done his job admirably, but that didn't mean he liked it very much.

Especially not after his close encounter with that murderous spherical droid.

However it appeared that AP already had a solution to the problem.

"There is a second route that can be taken by a small team that leads to the shuttle bay interior. From there, they can open the door from the other side. You can access this pathway directly from the detention centre."

Now that was good news. A small strike team moving through a smaller route would draw less attention, and allow them to reach the shuttle bay and open the door for the other team.

"AP, where exactly do we access this back route?" Ahsoka spoke into the comm, glancing around the detention centre for some sort of secret door.

"Unfortunately, to access this route you must first drop down into the waste disposal chute nearby. From there, you will access a storage chamber, and there, a hallway into the shuttle bay."

Ahsoka saw the looks of disgust that went around the various faces of her team. None seemed to be too enthralled with the idea of traipsing through a garbage dump to access a side passage. But it had to be done.

"It's the best we can do with the short amount of time we have." Ahsoka spoke to her team, who seemed to nod reluctantly.

Now it was just a case of dividing the team again.

Glancing around the group, Ahsoka mentally selected some people to accompany her. She was not as adverse to the garbage section as others were, so she would happily lead the smaller strike team. And she knew who she wanted to come with her.

"Alright, I'll lead a team through the side passages and open the door from the other side. Rex, Wolffe, Gregor and Hondo will accompany me. The rest of you will go the route with the bridges. Escort the Wookiee prisoners to the shuttle bay. Hopefully, from there Hera will be able to extract them once the Ghost is back up and running. If not, we'll have to improvise."

As she finished speaking, Ahsoka glanced towards her selected team members. She couldn't see the face of the clones, as they were hidden behind their helmets. Hondo however had a look of surprise on his face at being selected for such an important mission. Truth be told, she had picked him because if they ran into any trouble she knew his unorthodox nature would benefit them more than it would a larger team.

Now however, it was a case of figuring out who would be in charge of team two.

She couldn't pick Rex again, as he was now part of her team.

But that still left her with many options. The same dilemmas as before rang through her mind. Whilst many of them could lead, others might not be as willing to follow them into combat loyally.

Still, out of everyone, she had an idea of who to pick.

"Rau, I want you to lead the other team. Get to the door as soon as you can. Hopefully we can get it open in time for you."

Fenn Rau nodded his acceptance, clearly more than happy to lead the second team. And it seemed on one objected to the Protector being in charge. He had more that proved himself as capable and loyal in the past.

And she trusted him. He could do it, and he wouldn't sacrifice anyone's life at will.

It was then that Ahsoka heard footsteps approach from behind her. Turning, she was greeted with the face of Custos.

[I have spoken to the pack. We will follow your team. Help you fight.]

Ahsoka nodded in understanding. She didn't want to put the Wookiees at risk, but they could more than handle themselves if the situation arose.

"What about this guy?" Zeb then spoke out, gesturing to the collapsed form of Brom Titus.

Despite happenings in the past, Ahsoka was above cold blooded murder. She knew however that certain individuals in her team were not, and Titus couldn't just be left here in case he rose an alarm after they were gone.

Glancing round, Ahsoka had an idea.

"Put him in one of the cells, then lock the door. He can't do anything from in there."

Zeb chuckled deeply at the Togruta's statement, before bending down to scoop the imperial up, and carried him into an open cell.

"Commander, over here." Wolffe's voice came out next. Turning, Ahsoka spotted Wolffe and Rex by a grate on the side of the wall.

"That must be the chute to the waste disposal area." Ahsoka spoke, moving to investigate.

"It smells of Poodoo down there!" Hondo exclaimed, his hand coming up to hold his nose in disgust. Ahsoka had to admit she got a sense of joy at watching the pirate squirm at the stench.

But Hondo was right, it was overpowering.

But it was also the route she had her team had to go.

"Ok, we'll head down here. Rau, take the second team and the Wookiees into the turbolifts. Get to the hanger bay doors as soon as you can."

Rau nodded again before speaking, "Consider it done Commander Tano." Before leading the way, the rest of his team following behind him, and Custos and her pack behind them.

Ahsoka turned her gaze back around just in time to see Wolffe remove the grate blocking them access.

"Down we go then." The Wolfpack leader muttered grimly, clearly not looking forward to it.

"Oh come on, how back could it be?" Gregor spoke next, his voice still as enthusiastic as ever.

Ahsoka was grateful that he was still remaining positive about the situation. That gave her some semblance of hope, even after Yoda's demise.

Leaning forward to look down the chute behind where the grate had been, Ahsoka took a breath.

"Only one way to find out."

And then she vaulted down the chute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Brom Titus. He can never have a good day can he. 
> 
> The Wookiee OC in this chapter has it's name derivied from the Latin language. Custos means Guard/Guardian. 
> 
> Now before we get onto the review section, I want to answer a question that a few of you asked. I have not seen 'The Last Jedi' yet, and I doubt I will for a while. I like to wait before going to see a newly released movie, give the hordes of fans the chance to see it first so that it is quieter when I go (in theory). That being said, no spoilers please, or else I will kill Thrawn off by having him trip down some stairs. And no one wants that!
> 
> Next time round Ahsoka and her small team encounter... something, and the second team attempt to cross a narrow bridge. What could go wrong?


	32. The Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and her team find something in the trash compactor,  
> And Kallus is a badass!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy early 'whatever you celebrate' day present. Hope you like. (or, if like me, and you don't celebrate anything, have another normal chapter. :D)

Ahsoka landed with a splosh. The garbage chute had turned into a slide, ending up depositing her into a mass of rubbish, mixed with what appeared to be water that came up to thigh height.

The stench was overpowering to say the least, and Ahsoka had smelled some pretty disgusting things before. Dead bodies, lightsaber scoring, Anakin's cooking, but this almost topped it.

Still, she couldn't complain. If this lead to a side route to their goal, and would allow them to bypass much of the imperial troopers, then she had to take it, discomfort be damned.

Regaining her balance from her fall into what appeared to be a trash compactor, Ahsoka began looking around for the way out. No doubt there was some sort of safety hatch nearby for her team to use. She just prayed that the empire didn't decide the crush the trash currently present with her. That would not end well for her.

Suddenly, her montrals picked up the sound of cursing and screaming. Turning to look up at the chute she had arrived in on, Ahsoka smirked as Hondo Ohnaka came flying out face first into the mess, briefly being submerged in the pungent water, before resurfacing with coughs and splutters.

"Your clones pushed me down here!" Hondo spoke in between his coughing fit. As far as Ahsoka was concerned the old pirate deserved it.

"It's not that bad Hondo." The Togruta spoke, her smirk still evident on her face. Hondo looked up at her outraged at her defence of the clones antics.

"Not that bad? It smells down here! Worse than a hutt!"

Ahsoka chuckled again. Worse than a hutt was a bit of an overstatement, and she could say that having met Jabba.

It was then that three more figures came flying out of the chute in quick succession. Ahsoka turned to watch as Rex, Wolffe and Gregor settled from the slide down, brushing off any water or trash from their armour.

Hondo meanwhile continued to grumble to himself, muttering things about the water ruining his outfit.

"You boys ok?" Ahsoka inquired towards the clones.

"Never better Commander, we got a way out of here?" Rex spoke first, loyalty ever present in his tone.

Glancing around the room, Ahsoka began to search for their exit again. A few moments of searching later, and something caught Ahsoka's eye. One part of the wall was discoloured.

A secret door!

"There. Gregor, see if you can get it open." Ahsoka commanded, pointing towards the discoloured section. The clone commando nodded once before moving to search for some sort of internal override. If necessary, Ahsoka would use her lightsaber to cut the door open, but she would rather hold off just in case.

As Gregor got to work, Ahsoka began to think. So far, the mission had gone well. Yoda's death was a shock to the system for all, and a reminder of just how dangerous this mission was.

Her only comfort was that in his final moments, Yoda seemed happy. Happy as he had been in the days before the clone wars.

He had been at peace, and he had accepted what lay before him.

Ahsoka hoped that when it was her turn, she would feel the same way.

Still, they had a mission to complete. She could worry about her fate later on, as she had no intention of dying today, nor did she had any intention of letting anyone else sacrifice themselves for her.

The force had been surprising quiet since they had boarded the battle station. Ahsoka had expected Sidious to be haunting her throughout the mission, taunting her with visions and words, all with the aim to throw her off balance.

But he had only done so once so far. He seemed to be mainly leaving her alone.

'But why?' Ahsoka mulled to herself.

With the force reasonably quiet, Ahsoka could instead focus on other things, such as listening to cues from it to act.

"Ah ha! Got an interface panel here. This will just take a moment commander." Gregor spoke up, his hands moving over the discovered panel.

Ahsoka was about to compliment the work of the commando, when the force sang a warning to her. A major warning.

Before she had time to react, she felt something beneath the water curl up around one of her ankles.

It was clearly not some stray rubbish.

Ahsoka glanced up towards Rex in surprise at the unexpected touch, before she felt herself suddenly pulled downwards into the water.

Before her head was fully submerged in the water, Ahsoka heard the familiar voice of her oldest friend call out in panic.

"AHSOKA!"

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So far, the coast had been clear for the second team, which had been a massive, but not unwelcome surprise.

Pretty much everyone had expected an ambush the second they had stepped out of the turbolifts, but instead they had been greeted by an endless empty hallway to traverse through.

Still, that suited Kallus just fine. He was sure they would encounter trouble sooner or later, especially now that they had liberated the Wookiee's from the detention centre.

And yet, so far nothing had attacked them.

Then again, they had not reached the bridge that AP-5 had spoken about yet. Kallus was almost certain they would encounter trouble there.

Fenn Rau had agreed, and had planned for this. They expected the bridge to be narrow, so had arranged themselves to cross it single file. Kallus had offered to take point, the Mandalorians behind him. Zeb would be behind them, and then the force sensitive individuals. After them, the rest of the team would cover the rear, and the Wookiee's would come after them.

Kallus thought that Rau was somewhat negating the Wookiees, sacrificing their protection for the safety of the team.

The old imperial Kallus would have agreed, but since working with Ahsoka, Kallus had changed. The Wookiees had to be protected.

Still, Rau was in charge of team two, and Kallus trusted Ahsoka.

Glancing ahead, Kallus spotted that they had come to another doorway in the seemingly endless corridors of the battle station. Moving to open the door with a spike from Chopper, Kallus nearly gasped at what lay on the other side.

They had reached the bridge.

It was a tall room, with a series of bridges at various heights, each suspended over a black abyss. Kallus didn't even begin to wonder what was at the bottom of it.

The bridge they had to traverse was only wide enough for single file, as they had anticipated. At the far end, another doorway was present. That was their goal.

Another thought came to Kallus' mind in that moment. There wasn't even a guardrail for the bridge. If you lost your balance, you were going to fall.

"Karabast, that's a long way down!" Zeb spoke having moved forward to investigate.

Kallus gulped nervously. Yes, it was. And he had volunteered to go first.

"Ok everyone, we go in the order. Kallus, take the lead." Fenn Rau spoke to the assembled rebels.

Since it was too late to back out, and they didn't have the time to find an alternate route, Kallus began to move across the bridge, keeping his pace steady, and his balance tight.

Behind him, he heard the shuffling of the other members of the team.

"This is crazy! That's like some sort of bottomless pit!" A voice, the one belonging to Ryder Azadi, called out. Many of the team members seemed to hum in agreement.

But Kallus was too busy looking forward to notice. He only wanted to get to the other side. He wasn't that great with heights.

"You reckon this room runs the height of the station?" Quinlan Vos called out with a whistle.

"Possibly. I wouldn't put it past the Emperor to have done this on purpose." Obi-Wan replied.

From the back of the pack, one of the Wookiees, the leader by the looks of it, growled something that Kallus did not understand.

"What did she say?" Zeb called out. Clearly Kallus was not the only one confused.

Vos took that opportunity to interrupt. "She said that it reminds her of Kashyyyk at night. Tall forests consumed in the pitch black of night."

The team continued to shuffle across the narrow bridge slowly. All around them were various other bridges, some above, some below.

And there was still no enemy resistance. Something was very wrong.

Then, the inevitable happened. Someone lost their balance.

From nowhere, Saw Gerrerra broke out into a coughing fit. The entire team turned in alarm towards Saw, as the heavy coughs racked his body to the side.

He was only inches from losing his balance and falling off the edge into the void below, when an orange hand reached out to stabilise him.

"I've got you Gerrerra!" Cham Syndulla called out, as he helped Saw regain his balance once the coughing fit stopped.

Saw struggled to breathe for a few seconds, before her rose back up to his full height.

"Thanks Syndulla. I owe you one."

The team breathed a sigh of relief at the save. They had nearly lost another one in that moment.

Turning back around Kallus continued across the bridge, the team following. He was near the other side now. Just a few more steps lay between him and the door. All was going…

Then, the door opened suddenly, surprising Kallus. The ex-imperial agent froze in his spot at what lay on the other side.

A tall figure, dressed in imposing red armour, armed with a staff of some kind, one's that tip bristled with energy, clearly poised to strike.

An Imperial Royal Guard.

They were usually only ever seen guarding the emperor. What was one doing in this part of the station?

"Uh, we've got a problem!" Kallus heard Sabine's voice sound across the chasm like area. All around them, doors opened on various levels, both above and below, and various imperial Stormtroopers flooded the bridges, their blasters aimed at the rebels.

A further surprise was the appearance of jet-pack wielding troopers, who flew to the same level as the rebels.

They were surrounded. Their only hope was to get past the imperial Royal Guard in their way.

And only Kallus could currently get to him, and he stood no chance against the guard with a blaster.

Clearly, someone else had the same idea.

"Kallus! Catch!" A voice, the one that belonged to Garazeb Orrelios, echoed out. Turning his head to glance back at his Lasat friend, Kallus saw Zeb throw his bow staff in his direction. Reaching out, Kallus grabbed the weapon, extending the ends and activating the melee function on it. Both ends of the staff glowed and crackled with purple energy.

"Take him down!" Zeb called out, before accepting a blaster off of Ezra.

Turning back round to completely face the Royal Guard, Kallus crouched into his preferred fighting stance. The Royal Guard did the same, angling his pike like weapon towards Kallus, its tip evidently burning hot like a lightsaber.

Taking a breath, Kallus braced himself. He may not possess the force like other members of the team, but rigorous hours of training with a weapon similar to Zeb's had helped him hone his skills considerably. Hopefully, he had this.

The Royal Guard moved first, advancing with speed and swinging his staff towards Kallus.

Kallus reacted, bringing one end of the bow staff upwards to clash with the point of the guard's weapon, before manoeuvring the other end of the staff in the opposite direction, hoping to catch the Royal Guard by surprise.

Not being able to see the guard's face behind his crimson helmet, Kallus couldn't tell if the guard was surprised, but judging by his reaction he wasn't. The guard pivoted his own staff, deflecting Kallus' attempt to catch him by surprise.

The two entered into a prolonged duel, each trying to swing their own staffs in wide arcs to catch the other by surprise, both looking for a weakness.

Further strain was placed upon Kallus as he had to not only watch his step on the narrow bridge, but was also painfully aware of the battle that had erupted behind him.

Blaster fire echoed throughout the room as the various imperial forces present tried to pick off the rebels. The Jedi and Maul had ignited their sabers, and were deflecting shots aimed at them from all sides.

The Mandalorians, under Rau's instruction, had taken to the air via their jetpacks, and were moving round the room with lightning speed, evading and blasting imperial Jumptroopers, as well as those on the other bridges.

Suffice to say, the room was utter chaos, and it was looking very bad for the rebels.

Kallus pivoted again, the strain of the blow from the Royal Guard's staff knocking him backwards slightly. Narrowly, he avoided falling off of the bridge, and advanced on the guard, anger in his eyes.

Grasping the bow staff in the centre with both hands, Kallus attempted to rotate the staff at speed, hoping the continued blows would force the Royal Guard back.

And it did. After trying to deflect a series of blows, the Royal Guard evaded backwards towards the doorway again, out of range of Kallus' moved.

The former ISB agent ceased his whirlwind, and advanced as normal, staff poised to strike.

The Royal Guard saw this and crouched again into a ready position, anticipating Kallus' strike.

Shifting his tactic again, Kallus aimed high for the guard's head, hoping to catch him by surprise.

However, the guard clearly expected something like this, as he ducked under Kallus' swing and dashed forward, crashing into Kallus with considerable force.

Kallus was knocked backwards from the force of the impact, landing on his rear. The bow staff fell from his grip, arcing backwards and landing behind him on the bridge a distance away.

Twisting his head in alarm, Kallus realized that he wouldn't be able to reach the bow staff in time. The Royal Guard was poised to strike, the glowing end of his pike pointing directly at Kallus' heart.

'This is it. This is how I die.' Kallus thought grimly, closing his eyes in acceptance, and waited for the lethal blow.

Around him, he could hear the sounds of combat as the rest of the team engaged the imperial forces. He hoped they would succeed where he had failed.

Bracing himself, Kallus waited.

And then he heard a cry of pain, one that was not his own. Opening his eyes to survey what had happened, Kallus caught a glimpse of the Royal Guard tumble backwards, a glowing orange burn on his shoulder from where he had been hit by a blaster bolt.

The guard dropped his pike, his other hand coming to grasp the burn in agony. The guard's weapon landed at Kallus' feet, and the ex ISB agent's eyes widened in surprise.

Glancing behind him to the direction from where the blaster shot had come from, Kallus spotted Saw Gerrerra, blaster aimed in his direction. The rogue rebel nodded once at Kallus, before shifting his attention back to the fight at hand, blasting down an imperial Jumptrooper out of the sky.

Kallus shifted his gaze back round to the wounded imperial Royal Guard. Reaching forward, Kallus grasped the guard's weapon in his own hands, feeling the weight. Rising to his feet, Kallus angled the point of the weapon down at the fallen Royal Guard, and lunged.

The tip of the weapon pierced through the guard's armour like it was nothing, burning a searing hole in the crimson armour of the Royal Guard.

A cry of pain emanated from the guard, before Kallus pulled the weapon sideways, the body of the guard following.

Pulling the pike out of the body, Kallus watched as the Royal Guard tumbled off of the edge of the bridge, plummeting down into the black void below.

Sighing in relief, Kallus allowed himself a few seconds to regain his focus. That had been too close. Were in not for Saw Gerrerra…

Kallus might have very well died there.

He would have to thank Saw later on.

Raising his head, Kallus glanced to where the Royal Guard had emerged from. The door at the end of the bridge was now unobstructed. All Kallus had to do was get it open.

Removing the data spike he possessed, Kallus dashed towards the door, inserting the device into a control panel, and began to bypass the security.

Seconds later, the door opened.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Ezra could safely say that the current battle he was in was pure chaos, perhaps the most dangerous and testing battle he had ever been in altogether.

Right now, fighting an Inquisitor looked like an easier job.

The bridge was incredibly narrow, and made it hard for Ezra to employ any real footwork whilst using his lightsaber. To the young Jedi, he seemed stationary, unable to move to assist in much capacity.

Kanan and the others weren't in much better shape. Maul had taken to throwing his lightsaber with the force, bisecting imperials with each throw, only to call the blade back to do it again. The sight of a spinning red arc of death was terrifying, and Ezra had to remind himself that Maul was on their side.

Pivoting his blade to deflect another shot, Ezra glanced upwards to a bridge above them. Sabine was flying around the bridge, firing numerous shots at the troopers attempting the flank the rebels from above.

Ezra's momentary break in concentration allowed a blaster bolt to slip through his defences and hit his arm.

"Arrgh, Karabast!" Ezra cried out as the blast scorched his arm. It wasn't a lethal wound, but one that would need medical attention soon.

The battle was getting out of hand now. As before, there seemed to be an endless supply of Stormtroopers, constantly flooding in to slaughter the rebels.

If they didn't get off the bridge soon…

"I've got the door open. Everyone, fall back now!" Kallus' voice echoed across the sounds of the combat, and Ezra risked another glance towards the end of the bridge, where Kallus had been duelling the Royal Guard. The crimson figure was no longer present, suggesting that Kallus had won. Instead, the ex ISB agent stood by the now open door, waving the team to follow.

Hearing Kallus' call, the team responded and began moving along the bridge towards the door. Ezra was in the middle of the group, ahead of the other force sensitives, but behind Zeb, who was now at the front due to the Mandalorians taking to the air.

Zeb abandoned all pretence of safety and began to sprint towards the other end of the bridge, grabbing his fallen bow rifle in the process and firing a few shots upwards at some troopers.

Ezra followed swiftly behind, Kanan and the other force sensitives following behind him.

Ahead of him, Zeb crossed the threshold of the doorway with Kallus, before turning to lay down covering fire.

Ezra was about to increase his own speed when the force sang a warning to him. A warning not about him, but about someone else.

Ezra glanced upwards in horror in time to see it happen.

Sabine had been evading blaster fire skilfully, but the combined might of this many imperial troopers caught her off guard.

A stray shot hit Sabine's jetpack, and the device sputtered and failed, sending sparks out in all directions.

Without the jetpack to keep her in the air, Sabine began to plummet downwards into the void below.

"NO!" Ezra yelled in rage, reaching out with the force to grasp Sabine.

Whether it was due to some kind of divine intervention of the force, or that he had grown significantly stronger, Ezra's gambit worked.

Sabine was suspended in his grip via the force, and Ezra pulled with all his might to save his friend.

Moments later, Sabine came careening through the air towards Ezra, crashing into him and knocking him past the threshold of the door, into safety for them both.

"You ok Sabine?" Ezra mumbled as he struggled to get to his feet, assisting Sabine in the process.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the save Ezra." Sabine replied, getting back to her feet and removing her jetpack for inspection.

Ezra nodded happily, before shifting his attention back to the situation at hand.

Kanan had made it through the doorway in the time he and Sabine had gotten up, closely followed by Maul and Vos.

Obi-Wan was next through, followed by the Wookiees, who had been moved up the line in order to protect them.

Watching back out the door, Ezra could see Fenn Rau and Tristan Wren shift their movements with their own jetpacks, heading towards the doorway. Glancing back out over the bridge, Ezra saw the last three people they were waiting for.

Saw was in the lead, with Cham and Ryder closely following. The three rebels fired their blasters backwards, trying to hit someone whilst they fled.

As the remaining Mandalorians reached the doorway and passed through it, Ezra spotted a fast moving light come arching towards the bridge.

A rocket!

"GET DOWN!" Ezra called out to his fellow rebels moments before the rocket exploded.

The rocket hit the bridge behind the group of fleeing rebels, the shockwave knocking some of them off their feet.

Ezra briefly spotted Saw go flying forwards, crashing to the floor in the doorway.

Cham lost his balance and tumbled to the side, his legs dangling off the edge of the bridge. Under the constant strain of enemy fire, it was clear that Cham would not be able to hold on much longer.

That was until Saw, who had gotten back to his feet, turned back around to grab Cham's hand, pulling the Twi-lek back up and helping him through the doorway.

As the two rebel leaders made it past Ezra, the young Jedi looked back across the bridge.

'Where was Ryder?'

As the smoke from the rocket explosion faded away, Ezra saw a figure in white covering in smoke and burns, desperately trying to get to his feet.

His heart plummeted at the sight of Ryder in obvious pain, and he wanted to run out and save his friend. His feet even responded likewise, until a forceful hand pulled him back.

And it was a good thing it did. One moment, Ryder was there, limping and badly hurt.

The next, he wasn't.

A stray blaster bolt slammed into Ryder Azadi's head, piercing his skull, and sending the former Governor of Lothal tumbling off the bridge, down into the pitch black depths below.

"RYDER!" Ezra called out in rage as it happened, trying to reach out with the force to pull Ryder as he had Sabine.

The hand on his shoulder pulled him back fiercely again, throwing him to the floor behind him before a crimson blade erupted from the hand, slashing the control panel and sealing the door to the bridges.

Grief filled Ezra as he stared at the now closed door.

Ryder was gone, just like that.

Looking up at the person who had pulled him back, Ezra resisted the urge to sneer. Why had Maul done that?

Maul for his part seemed remorseful, but not regretful.

"We couldn't save him, and we need to keep moving Ezra." Maul spoke, his voice the same level as normal, not hinting at any form of darkside deception or malicious intent.

The Zabrak was right, and Ezra knew it. They had to keep moving, for Ryder's sake.

Steeling himself, he accepted a hand offered by the Zabrak, and got to his feet, grasping his lightsaber in his hand, before moving to re-join the team.

They had a door to get to. Hopefully Ahsoka and her team would be having less trouble, as well as no casualties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Memorium: Ryder Azadi
> 
> Oh man Ryder, I'm so sorry for that. Really I am, but someone had to go down there.
> 
> Ryder is an interetsing character that I fell like hasn't really done anything in the show. He was introduced solely as a plot point to explain the fate of Ezra's parents, and hasn't really done anything since except be the person who resembles Lothal being in danger. I feel like that at times, both the writers and the audience forget he even exists, which is a shame.
> 
> Of course, this is not true for everyone, and I'm not saying that about my readers, it's just an observation I have.
> 
> That being said, I really do like Ryder, and I hope that he survives the show. But in this story, I wanted a shock out of nowhere death with no build up whatsoever, so Ryder was the one to go. In one variation of this chapter, more people died as well, including Cham Syndulla, but I chose to spare him for now.
> 
> So sorry Ryder. You are awesome, but you are now dead. :(
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that the battle made sense. Kallus was fun to write, especially his duel with the Royal Guard.
> 
> Next time round, we shift back to the other team to find out what happens to them. Is Ahsoka ok?
> 
> I hope you all enjoy whatever you celebrate, or don't celebrate if like me. I'll also understand that you may all be busy, so don't worry if you don't find the time to read or review right away. :)


	33. The Horrors of the Clone Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and her team encounter a nightmare or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a heavy chapter this time round. Hope you enjoy it.   
> Also, make sure to read the notes at the end of the chapter for an announcement style thingy.  
> :)

"AHSOKA!"

Panic filled Rex. Pure panic. Fear, anger, hatred. All the emotions people were supposed to avoid.

That was what Rex was feeling, as he watched his oldest friend suddenly pulled under the murky water by something. What he wasn't sure, only that it was going to die!

'Don't you dare hurt her whatever you are! Take me instead!'

Around Rex, the other two clones and even Hondo seemed horrified. The old pirate's eyes had bugled dramatically, and was reaching his hands under the water, desperately trying to grip onto anything that belonged to the Togruta warrior.

Snapping out of his shock, Rex joined the Weequay, his armoured hands reaching deep into the murky water.

All he could feel was cold, as well as small pieces of something, no doubt trash that had been discarded.

But he couldn't find Ahsoka.

"Come on Commander, where the hell are you?" Wolffe yelled out in vain, kicking into the water with his feet, trying to evidently fight something that he couldn't see.

Just then, a tentacle emerged from the water, and shot at Wolffe, knocking him back.

The clone commander grunted as he hit the side of the wall, before speaking.

"What the kriff is that?"

No one responded, not having an answer. Right now, they had more concerning issues to deal with.

Rex doubled the speed at which he was searching, praying for something to go right. All he had to do was find a hand to grab onto. Surely Ahsoka knew he would be coming for her?

The seconds passed by, and they felt like hours for Rex as he and the others searched. The longer they did so, the less likely it was they would have a happy ending.

"Come on Ahsoka! Where are you?" Rex yelled out, grief in his voice.

He would not lose her! Never would he lose her!

Suddenly, and pained roar erupted throughout the garbage dump, echoing off the walls. The sound clearly came from whatever this monster was, but why?

Then, Rex saw a sight he would never forget, and one he was eternally grateful for.

A white beam of light burst through the water, a severed tentacle coming to float on the top of the water shortly afterwards.

"There she is!" Hondo yelled out, reaching down with Rex to where the lightsaber had emerged from the water.

Reaching deep into the water, Rex's hands found something to hold onto, and together with Hondo, they pulled.

Seconds later, Ahsoka emerged, spluttering and coughing up water she had swallowed. It didn't occur to Rex at the time that he and Hondo had gripped onto her montrals, a sensitive spot for Togruta, and pulled her out that way.

Clearly, Ahsoka was in no position to complain, not that she would of anyway.

Pulling Ahsoka out of the water, Rex backed off from where she had been found, bringing her close to the edge of the garbage dump.

Just then, the water rumbled, and a massive beats emerged.

It possessed many tentacles, all flailing with reckless abandon towards those who had disturbed it. A singular eye focused on the group, its pupil dilating in what looked like hunger.

"Hey, ugly!"

Rex spun his head to look at the origin of the insult, as did the creature.

Wolffe stood tall, an old republic flamethrower in his hands. He had carried it through the station, insisting they would need it at some point, despite the limited ammunition he possessed for it.

"That's our commander you tried to eat!" Wolffe boomed out, before unleashing a stream of fire at the monster.

The flames engulfed the beast, sending it flailing around in agony. From the side, both Hondo and Gregor began to fire their blasters at the monster, the shots piercing the beast.

Under the combined might of the Wolffe's flamethrower, and the other's blasters, the monster released one final roar, before it slumped into the water dead.

After it was clear the threat had passed, Rex turned his attention to his Togrutan friend, who was still trying to cough up the water she had taken in.

As the woman retched up the remaining sewage water, her eye's locked onto Rex's beneath his helmet.

"Thanks Rex."

Beneath the helmet, Rex smiled. Of course she would make out like it was nothing.

"Anytime commander."

Regaining her strength, with some support from Rex, Ahsoka rose to her feet in the water.

"Gregor, have you found a way out yet?"

The old clone commando had moved back to the control panel he had discovered, and after a few more presses, a door opened.

Gregor turned back to the others, gesturing for the door.

"Yes! We can escape this disgusting place!" Hondo boasted first, practically charging for the door, the other's following behind.

Rex didn't bother to point out that Hondo had forgone his issues with the stench of the garbage dump when Ahsoka was in trouble.

***************************************************************************************************************

Having no way to clean themselves off, Ahsoka's team was left in a rather disgusting state as they moved through a series of hallways.

'I smell worse than Tarkin!' Ahsoka thought to herself snidely, not that she had ever purposefully smelled the human before. 'Now that was a disgusting thought.'

Passing through another doorway, the team found themselves in a storage bay full of crates of various sizes, but with no signs of any sort of imperial patrol.

"I don't like this. It's too quiet." Wolffe muttered to the team as they advanced slowly through the large room.

Privately, Ahsoka agreed. The whole thing sang ambush to her.

Despite her trepidation, they pushed forward. At the far end of the room, Ahsoka spied another door. That was their way out, and hopefully would lead them to the hanger bay they were aimed at.

Moving slowly forward, Ahsoka suddenly stopped. Something had disturbed the quiet room, she felt it in her montrals. It was times like these she was glad for her passive echolocation native to her species.

Glancing to her right, Ahsoka spied a collection of large crates. Whatever had caused the disruption to her montrals had come from behind there.

Listening carefully, Ahsoka tried to determine what it was.

Then, another sound echoed throughout the room, one that everyone could hear.

TING, TING, TING.

"What was that?" Hondo enquired aloud, his gaze shifting around the room in what many would call panic.

TING, TING, TING.

This time round the sound came from the other side of the room, behind yet another pile of crates.

Something deep in the back of Ahsoka's mind told her that she should recognize the sound, and she did, she just couldn't place it at that moment.

TING, TING, TING.

TING, TING, TING.

TING! TING! TING!

The sound increased in both volume and number, surrounding the team on all sides.

Reaching down, Ahsoka grasped her lightsaber hilts. Something was coming for them, but what.

"I recognize that sound." Rex spoke this time, concern and what appeared to be fear in his voice. If Rex was worried, then Ahsoka knew that they were in trouble.

Then, it emerged, coming from behind a crate ahead of them. A small spherical shaped ball, armed with various instruments, including a buzz saw.

And then another emerged from behind it, and another, and another…

"KRIFF! Buzz droids?!" Rex yelled first, firing his blaster pistol directly at the first droid that had emerged. The shot landed successfully, destroying the droid with a shot through the central eye.

The other buzz droids recognized the threat, and began to emit a loud pitch screeching sound, before charging at the group.

Chaos erupted in that instance. From every corner of the room, behind every crate, and even falling from the roof, buzz droids swarmed in, their mechanical instruments clearly desiring blood.

Igniting her blades, Ahsoka swung them upwards, cleaving a pair of buzz droids in half as they fell. The clones formed a circle around their commander, with Hondo assisting them, firing in all directions, eliminating buzz droids.

The team found themselves surrounded, buzz droids approaching from all sides.

"There's too many of them!" Gregor called out, his rotary cannon endlessly firing in a precise pattern, covering one side of the conflict.

"Move to the door! Go!" Ahsoka commanded aloud, reaching out with the force to push the droids back and give the team an opening. There was no way they were going to be able to handle this many buzz droids and not get ripped apart. They had to run!

Clearly, Hondo had the same idea, as he broke off into sprint yelling in fear.

"Every man for himself!"

Mentally groaning at Hondo's antics, Ahsoka pivoted to find a buzz droid latch itself onto her leg, its buzz saw attempting to cut through her boots.

"Get off!" The Togruta growled at the machine, slicing the droid in half with her lightsaber, before kicking out with her foot to smash another approaching buzz droid.

Turning back around, Ahsoka spotted Hondo reaching the door they needed to get to, firing back at the approaching swarm of droids.

"Hold on Hondo!" Ahsoka called out as she broke into a sprint, dashing to his position to assist him, cutting down various buzz droids on the way.

As she ran, she passed by Wolffe and Rex, who stood back to back, firing their blasters at the droids as they swarmed in. Being veterans of the clone wars, the two old commanders seemed both at ease and eerily calm at fighting the mechanical horrors. They worked effectively together, keeping the buzz droids at a safe distance, despite the limitless numbers of them.

Spinning her blades in deadly arcs as she ran, Ahsoka was soon by Hondo's side, covering him from any droids that got to close. To their right, Ahsoka spotted Gregor working to get the door open in desperation, abandoning any hopes out outgunning the droids.

"How did you rope me into this crazy mission again Ahsoka?" Hondo called out over the battle, blasting another pair of buzz droids that were approaching. Choosing not to reply, Ahsoka cleaved another droid that had closed the gap in half.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted one droid make a beeline for Gregor, its instruments flailing with murderous intent. Abandoned her position, Ahsoka lunged with her blade, destroying the droid before it could land on Gregor and cause him harm. As she did this, Gregor inputted a series of commands into the control interface he was working on, and the door opened.

"Everyone fall back!" Ahsoka called out to her team, watching as Gregor moved to the other side of the door, finding another panel from which to lock the door.

Hondo backed through slowly, firing at the horde of droids that approached with frightening speed.

As Ahsoka made it through the door, she turned to look back into the room full of buzz droids just as a white figure burst past her. She briefly recognized the helmet belonging to Wolffe…

But that meant…

Ahsoka glanced back into the room in fear. If Wolffe had broken from his position that meant…

Her heart slumped in that moment. Rex was still there, backing towards the door slowly. Too slowly. By the time he reached the door the buzz droids would have too, and he wasn't going to be able to take on that many droids.

"REX! FALL BACK NOW!" Ahsoka screamed in genuine fear.

But Rex continued to move back slowly, firing his pistols faster than she had ever seen him do before. Buzz droid after buzz droid fell to his shots, but they were just too many.

"REX!" Ahsoka yelled again. She wanted to rush out and pull him back. But she couldn't. She couldn't sacrifice the mission for one person.

Rex was going to die, she could see it now in her head.

In the back of her mind, she heard Sidious chuckle in glee.

Blinking back tears, Ahsoka prepared for the worst.

Except that someone else had acted first.

A white blur, highlighted with lines of grey pushed past her, charging towards Rex.

Wolffe reached the clone captain, his brother, and wrapped his arms around Rex's waist, before pulling with all his might.

Wolffe spun Rex around, sending him careening into Ahsoka's arms and through the doorway. Catching her old friend and helping him to his feet, Ahsoka's gaze turned back to Wolffe, who was now in Rex's place.

Plo Koon's old clone commander turned to run back to the door. For a brief second, Ahsoka was hopeful.

But that hope didn't last long. A swarm of droids latched onto Wolffe's legs, pulling him down to the floor and dragging him backwards into the ensuing horde of machines.

Buzz saws rotated and cut through the old clone's armour, piercing skin and bone with ease.

Through the carnage, Ahsoka could hear Wolffe's agonizing screams as he was ripped to shreds by the buzz droids.

"WOLFFE! NO WOLFFE!" Rex yelled, trying to push past Ahsoka and get to his friend.

But there was nothing they could do. Ahsoka knew that, so she restrained Rex just in time. The doors to the room full of buzz droids slammed shut thanks to Gregor, who collapsed onto the floor in despair after it was done. Even Hondo looked horrified by what had just happened.

The worst thing was that thanks to her advanced hearing, courtesy of her Togrutan biology, Ahsoka could still hear Wolffe's screams through the now closed door.

They continued for a few more moments, before mercifully, they fell silent.

Sighing to herself, Ahsoka released Re, who stepped back in horror, staring aimlessly at the now closed door, before his helmet drooped down in a sign of sorrow.

Of all the ways for someone to go out, that had been the worst that Ahsoka had ever seen.

But they couldn't mourn right now. They had a mission to complete.

Walking up to Rex, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around him, comforting him on the loss of his brother.

"I know Rex, but we have to keep moving, honour his sacrifice."

Rex's helmeted head remained drooped for a few moments, before it rose up with what appeared to be determination.

Stepping back from the embrace, Rex gripped his blaster pistols tightly.

"I'm gonna kill every last imperial bastard on this station!" The clone captain snarled, before turning to lead the way down the next corridor, Gregor following beside him.

Sighing to herself, Ahsoka moved to follow, Hondo beside her, who had remained entirely silent in the aftermath of what had just happened.

As they walked, one thing came to Ahsoka's mind.

'No one else!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter no doubt produced some tears. Sorry about that. Please don't kill me. :(
> 
> In Memorium: CC-3636 'Wolffe'
> 
> Oh man, of all the ways to go, Wolffe got the worst.
> 
> I was adament when I started this fic that at least one of the clones dies. They are expendable after all. (not really, that's a morbid in universe joke)
> 
> Wolffe is one of my favourite clones, second only to Fives. He is grumpy. He hates pretty much everyone (not Plo Koon), and he just wants to do his job.
> 
> But he is loyal, and smart, and one of the few to clearly listen to Rex's warnings about the chip in his head, unlike many others. (cough cough Cody)
> 
> All of those make him a tragic, yet brilliant character. He is one of the few clones that stand out to me as being truly unique, and for that, he earned his place in this fic.
> 
> But I still killed him off, and I am sorry. No doubt this is the most shocking death so far. If you want to pull out of the story because of it, I won't blame you.
> 
> But before you do, let me say this one thing. In the original outline for this chapter, it was Rex that died here. I only changed it last minute.
> 
> So yeah, sorry Wolffe. You will be missed.
> 
> I hope you all liked the chapter despite the fatality. It was a tough one to write.
> 
> Next time round, the team regroups to push forward, and Ahsoka and Rex run into a familiar face.
> 
>  
> 
> And now for the special announcment thingy:
> 
> Now, since we are edging ever closer to the end of this story, and the AU as a whole, I figured I should take some time to talk abotu my upcoming projects.
> 
> As I have been saying for a while now, after this story concludes I will be doing a one-shot series based in this AU universe as a whole, taking random moments and characters that I didn't include in the main stories, as well as fleshing out other characters. I will give more information about them closer to the end of this story, but right now I have something else I wish to talk about.
> 
> I mentioned in a reply to a review a few chapters back that I had a 'Top Secret Star Wars' project in the works. As it stands, this project is still very much in its infancy, and to be fair I don't know if I am going to go through with it. Thus, I have decided to ask you all what your opinion is about it, and whether or not you would want such a thing.
> 
> Without giving too much away, the project would essentially be a standalone story in a new AU, focusing on Anakin and Ahsoka, and following a scenario where they are both the same age. The story would follow the two as they go through their lives as Jedi togther. The story would essentially be a massive 'happy-go-lucky' fluffy adventure with the two of them, rather than a drama like the story I am currently writing.
> 
> The reasoning behind this sort of story is that in the AU I am currently writing I pretty much destroyed the Anakin and Ahsoka relationship that exists, and thus as compensation I feel that I should do a new story to repair it.
> 
> That all being said, I am still unsure on whether or not to write it for various reasons:
> 
> 1\. I don't know if you lot would want another story with Ahsoka as the main character, as opposed to someone else.
> 
> 2\. I'm not the biggest fan of Anakin to be fair. Far too many times have I read a story about him as Vader killing Ahsoka (just the other day I did by accident and it set my depression off again). Therefore, I don't know if I will be able to keep it up.
> 
> 3\. I have no real idea of what direction to take the idea, other than a few brief outlines and ideas. I don't just want to remake the prequels and contnet around that, but am unsure how well a completely new AU would be taken, ignoring the main plot of Star Wars as a whole.
> 
> So as you can see, I am in a bit fo a pickle with this project. If you guys would like the see something along these lines then let me know. If not, then tell me.
> 
> Also, if you have any ideas yourself for me, feel free to let me know. (or better yet, have a go at writing it yourself if you wish, I'd love to see what you can do)


	34. Regrouping and a Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team reunite after their losses,  
> And Ahsoka and Rex face a ghost of their past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter. Not much action this time around, but I hope you enjoy regardless.

Ahsoka and her team continued down the empty hallways in silence, each mourning the loss of Wolffe. Rex was up front, and judging by his posture, he was angry.

Ahsoka understood, she felt the same when Yoda had fallen. They would be avenged, Ahsoka would make sure of it.

She just hoped that Rex wouldn't do anything foolish due to his rage. She needed him level headed if they were to pull this off. After all, they still had a long way to go.

Approaching the end of another corridor, the small team came across another door that needed opening. If all went to plan, this would lead to the hanger bay they had planned to regroup in.

Crouching down at the control panel, Gregor worked swiftly, opening the door in seconds.

As the door slid open, Ahsoka spotted movement on the other side. They were indeed in the hanger bay they needed to be in…

But so were a squad of Deathtroopers.

Rex opened fire first, his aim scoring a hit of a Deathtrooper, who fell to the floor, a hole burning in his head.

Hondo moved in next, tossing a terminal detonator into the mix, forcing the Deathtroopers to scatter.

As the explosive device went off, Ahsoka dashed forward with her sabers ignited, and cleaved one Deathtrooper in two, before turning to deflect the blaster fire from another.

The skirmish continued for a while longer than Ahsoka had expected. Deathtrooper were the elite of the elite, and that clearly showed. They seemed to demonstrate far greater tactical intellect than most Stormtroopers ever did.

That being said, they were up against a former Jedi and a pair of clone troopers.

As well as a pirate.

Hondo moved again, blasting a Deathtrooper who had been focused on Ahsoka in the back, before turning to blast another who had Rex pinned down.

Several seconds later, the last of the Deathtroopers fell to a shot by Gregor, and the hanger bay was secure.

Glancing around the space, Ahsoka saw no more contacts, and they was only one ship present in the hanger bay, an oddly shaped imperial shuttle that looked like it belonged to some high up imperial leader.

Still, she did not have time to dwell on whose shuttle it was.

Reaching for her comm link, Ahsoka spoke.

"Second team, what's your position?"

Garbled static came through the other end, as well as the unmistakable sound of blaster fire.

"We're pinned at the door. We need it open NOW!" Fenn Rau's voice came through in static bursts, clearly showing desperation.

Signalling to her team, Ahsoka began to dahs towards the door at the far end of the hanger bay. On the other side, she heard the sounds of a ferocious battle, as well as the hums of lightsabers swinging and deflecting.

"Get this door open Gregor!" Ahsoka called out to the commando, who did just that. Finding another control interface, Gregor worked for a few seconds, before the doors slid open.

"Come on!" Ahsoka called out to the team as the doors opened.

The battle on the other side was chaos. The lightsaber wielders were up front, creating a barrier with their blades, deflecting what shots they could.

The Wookiees came through the door first, Custos backing in slowly, releasing a roar of anger as she fired a blaster she had acquired, and scoring a hit on a Stormtrooper down the hall.

Zeb was through next, supporting an evidently wounded Sabine, followed shortly by her brother Tristan.

Kallus came next, side by side with Saw, firing down the hallway.

Then came Cham, who turned and dashed through the threshold of the doorway.

Watching the chaos, Ahsoka spotted that Rau was up front with the saber wielders, playing the role of leader well. The rest of the second team began to back up, making it through the threshold of the doorway quickly.

Maul came to stand by Ahsoka's side, his crimson blade rotating and deflecting more shots back at the approaching imperials.

"Everyone's through. Seal the door!" Ahsoka called out to Gregor once the remainder of the team had made it inside. Gregor worked for a few seconds, crossing a few more codes and wires before the door slammed shut.

As the doors closed however, a stray shot made it past the threshold, and slammed into Fenn Rau, knocking him off his feet.

"Rau!" Ahsoka called, moving over the support him.

But rather than fall backwards, the Protector shook off the hit, regaining his balance, and locking his gaze onto the Togruta.

"I'm good commander. Beskar always holds up against such standard blaster fire."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ahsoka shot a small smile at Rau, before stepping away to assess the team.

Ezra was crouched by Sabine and her brother, administering first aid to a nasty wound on her back. Clearly her jetpack had taken a hit.

As Ahsoka glanced around, she noticed something. Someone was missing.

"Where's Ryder?" Ahsoka inquired, concern in her voice. Deep down she already knew the answer, she just needed to hear it.

"He fell." It was Cham that confirmed it, sorrow in his voice at the loss of the former Lothal Governor.

Shaking her head in despair, Ahsoka mourned his loss, and vowed to avenge him.

"Wolffe?" Zeb spoke aloud next, looking around in worry.

Internally, Ahsoka cringed. She could still hear Wolffe's agonizing screams in her memory as he was ripped apart. What was she going to tell them?

Luckily, Rex seemed to take it upon himself, speaking with a sombre, yet respectful tone.

"He's with his general now."

It was no secret just how much Wolffe had respected Plo Koon, and the loss of the respected Jedi Master had damaged the Wolfpack commander severely.

The fact that he was now back at his side was small comfort to Ahsoka.

"Karabast." Zeb whispered in reply, his hands coming to his head in despair.

Glancing at the rest of the team, Ahsoka saw that they were growing weary. They had lost people they cared for.

And they would likely lose more.

Reaching for her communication device, Ahsoka spoke.

"Hera, do you read me?"

The Twi-lek replied instantaneously.

"Ahsoka, sorry about before. Repairs are nearly complete. Have you reached the hanger bay yet?" The Twi-lek's tone was enthusiastic, despite the situation.

"We have Hera, but we took some casualties. Yoda, Ryder and Wolffe are down." Ahsoka replied, waiting for the reaction. Around her, the team did the same.

Hera was silent for a few seconds, before a sigh came across the comms. Ahsoka had to say she felt the same.

"Understood commander. I've been doing some planning ahead. From where you are you need to get to an adjacent cargo storage area. It's through the door at the far end of the hanger bay you are currently in. From there, you can access a corridor that leads straight to the centre of the station."

Ahsoka glanced at the opposite end of the hanger bay, spotting the door in question. If that led to where they needed to go, then that's where she would go.

"Understood Hera. Now I need something more from you. We rescued some Wookiees held in captivity here. We have secured they hanger bay we are in. Can you fly round the station and extract them? That way we can use this as our escape route once the crystal has been destabilized."

It was a tall order, Ahsoka knew this. But if anyone could do it, it was Hera Syndulla.

"Copy that Ahsoka. Once repairs are complete, I'll fly the Ghost round to the hanger bay."

Nodding to herself, Ahsoka shifted her attention to the Wookiees, specifically Custos.

"Custos, I need you and your pack to remain here until out pilot can extract you. Is that ok?"

[Of course. Hunt well Commander.] The Wookiee replied, before moving over to what remained of her pack.

Glancing around the hanger bay, Ahsoka made another decision. She couldn't leave the Wookiees undefended. Sure, they were Wookiees, but they had been kept prisoner for so long, they wouldn't be in the best decision.

That meant she would have to leave some people behind to defend the landing zone, and safeguard the Wookiees until Hera arrived to extract them.

The question was, who?

Sooner or later the door they had just come through would open, and imperial reinforcements would flood through.

She needed people who not only worked well together, but could provide a robust defence alongside the Wookiees that could fight.

Glancing around at her team members, Ahsoka came to a decision.

Levelling her gaze at two specific individuals, Ahsoka spoke.

"Kallus, Zeb, I need you two to hold this position until Hera arrives with the Ghost. Defend the Wookiees and keep this extraction secure. Can you do that?"

Zeb seemed surprised at being assigned such a task. He was more of the brute force kind of fighter, not the defensive. Kallus meanwhile seemed up to the task, saluting once at Ahsoka.

Glancing to his side, Zeb saw Kallus' acceptance, and too nodded his.

"We'll hold the line Ahsoka." Zeb spoke with confidence.

Ahsoka smiled and nodded her head at her two allies, before moving towards the doorway they needed to get through, the rest of the team following behind.

"Hey, Lasat?" Gregor's voice echoed across the hanger bay. The team turned to watch Gregor approach Zeb, his rotary cannon in his hands, before passing it to Zeb.

"You might need this."

Again, Zeb looked surprised, but reached out to accept the heavy weapon regardless.

"Thanks old-timer." Zeb gruffly replied, humour in his voice.

Gregor chuckled aloud, before moving to re-join the team as they approached the door they needed to get through, leaving Kallus and Zeb behind to prepare for their defence.

Ezra worked on the panel this time, inserting his data spike into the panel, and sorting through the various bits of information present.

Ahsoka stood waiting for the door to open, flanked by Rex and Maul. If there were enemies on the other side, she would catch them by surprise.

Then, the door began to open.

"Good work Ezra." Kanan called out from beside his apprentice. Ezra however, seemed surprised.

"I didn't do that." The young boy said with confusion. His tone alerted the team. Something was wrong.

Gripping the hilt of her lightsaber, Ahsoka braced herself.

The door then opened fully, revealing a single figure on the other side, dressed in the white of an imperial higher up.

The figure wasn't armed, and carried only what looked like a datachip in his hand.

But that wasn't important at the moment. As Ahsoka locked eyes with the figure, she felt anger build up inside her. It had been many years since they had last met, but she recognized him immediately.

And clearly he recognized her.

"Commander Tano?" The figure spoke, both with shock and what appeared to be fear in his voice.

Bearing her Togrutan incisors, Ahsoka released a harsh push through the force, sending the man flying backwards into the wall of the corridor behind him. The figure crashed into the wall, slumping down so that his back was against the wall.

Shaking off the impact, the figure looked up from his now seated position, only to come face to face with a bright white beam of plasma pointing directly at his face.

Ahsoka snarled aloud before speaking, disgust in her tone.

"Colonel Yularen. Look at what you have become!"

Wullf Yularen stared up at the deadly blade, fear, yet understanding in his eyes. Perhaps he realized why exactly Ahsoka was threatening him.

"Commander, it is good to see you again, despite the situation." Yularen spoke. Ahsoka noted that his voice had not changed. Over a decade later, and his accent was as crisp as ever. That sent a wave of unwelcome nostalgia down her spine.

Ahsoka had long since wondered what she would say to Yularen if she ever met him again. They had served together well during the clone wars, and Ahsoka had believed that Yularen was a good man.

But when the republic had fallen and the empire had risen, Yularen had stayed with the empire, rising through the ranks to head the ISB, which was practically the equal of the Fulcrum network that Ahsoka had established.

So despite their past, as far as Ahsoka was concerned, Yularen has willingly sided with a tyrannical racist leader who endorsed killing children. Unless he had a kriffing good reason for doing so… she would kill him here and now!

Beside her, Ahsoka felt Rex shift to stand alongside his friend, his blaster pointed directly at Yularen. Cleary the old clone felt the same way as Ahsoka did.

"Stow the pleasantries 'Colonel' and tell me why? Why did you choose to empire?" Ahsoka spat, gesturing with her blade lightly. She'd give him an opportunity.

One opportunity.

Yularen visibly gulped at the obvious threat, before looking down at his lap in shame.

"I, I don't know. I thought that maybe, just maybe, Palpatine would make something good come of it all. We needed unity after the clone war. The empire seemed liked the best way to do that."

So far, Yularen had not convinced her. At this rate, he would not be leaving alive.

"And what about the Jedi? Do you feel no guilt knowing that you supported a monster who ordered the deaths of children? What about the clones? Did you do anything to help them?" Ahsoka spoke again, her voice raising a level in tone. Around her, the team waited, watching out for any unexpected attacks, whilst listening to the conversation.

Yularen didn't raise his gaze from his lap. Clearly he was ashamed.

"No, I didn't do anything. The Jedi didn't deserved what they got, much less the younglings. And the clones, they are people, and they were willingly cast aside." Yularen continued, sounding even more downtrodden than before.

Remorse was good, but it wouldn't save him.

"You do realize you work for the Sith now don't you? Did you ever stop to wonder who Darth Vader was? Where he came from?" It was Rex that added a line of questioning this time, his voice clearly agitated, but not quite as malicious as Ahsoka's was.

Yularen's gaze lifted from his lap, a look of contemplation on his face.

"I figured Palpatine was a Sith. It would explain the Inquisitors. But Vader, I never did find out anything about him." Yularen spoke.

"He was a Jedi. Specially, he was Anakin Skywalker, my master." Ahsoka answered for the Colonel, spite in her tone at the mention of the word 'master'. Ahsoka no longer cared to associate herself with that man, not after what he had done.

Yularen was clearly shocked by the revelation. For a moment, it looked like he would deny what he had been told, like many others would.

But in the end, his gaze dropped again, and the old man sighed.

"I'm sorry Commander, I didn't know. It must have been hard when you…"

"When I killed him. It was at first, but he made his choice, as you did yours." Ahsoka finished for Yularen, the blade retracting slightly. She still hadn't decided his fate, but the remorse he was showing was a good sign.

Yularen sat for a few moments, before moving his hands to his sides, pushing himself up slowly, as if expecting to be pushed back down by the force.

Rather than do what Yularen expected, Ahsoka allowed her old commanding officer to rise to his feet. Better to die on his feet than on the floor.

"The Empire is not what it once was. It does not seek to benefit the galaxy, nor its people, I see that now. This weapon, and many like it are tools of fear. Used only to consolidate and expand Palpatine's power. He must be stopped." Yularen spoke clearly, his tone reaching the familiar levels of confidence that was reminiscent of the clone war Admiral. Ahsoka lowered her blade, but did not extinguish it.

As he spoke, Yularen reached his hand out, offering the datachip to Ahsoka.

"After the recent Meeting of the Moffs, I started doing some digging. Apparently the Emperor has some sort of contingency plan that could threaten the whole galaxy. Whatever Operation Cinder is has been kept the upmost secret. Not even I was privy to such information. So I hacked into the private databases of both Admiral Versio and Admiral Rax, the officers in charge of the project."

Ahsoka listened. It didn't surprise her that Sidious has a backup plan. Whatever this 'Operation Cinder' was would clearly be a problem in the future. No doubt it would be another issue to resolve one day, assuming they survived today.

Yularen reached out with his hand, taking Ahsoka's free hand in his grip and depositing the chip at the same time.

"I downloaded and decrypted what I could. Take it, please. Find out what this contingency plan is and stop it. Do what I could not, that's all I ask." Yularen finished, bowing his head in both shame.

Ahsoka grasped the datachip hard. The information on it would prove useful to the rebellion, despite her current predicament with them. Yularen had given her information that could save lives.

In that moment, Ahsoka made up her mind regarding Yularen's fate.

Extinguishing her lightsaber, Ahsoka took a step back from Yularen.

"Thank you Colonel. I don't trust you, but you have helped us today when you didn't have to. Now I suggest you get off this station before we destroy it." The Togruta woman spoke as a small smile came to her face. Yularen, after hearing her words smiled too, before saluting at her.

"Of course Commander, thank you for the second chance. May the force be with you." The Colonel replied, before moving past Ahsoka and Rex, who nodded at Yularen as he passed by.

Yularen was about to enter the hanger bay before he turned around and spoke again.

"Word of advice Commander Tano. Tiber Saxon and his supercommandos are waiting for you up ahead. Expect a tough fight."

Ahsoka turned her head to look at Yularen before replying.

"Thanks for the heads up. Good luck Colonel Yularen."

Yularen nodded again before heading into the hanger, towards the shuttle that was waiting.

Ahsoka didn't watch Yularen go, instead, she moved to re-join her team, leading them down the hallway they were in.

From Yularen's warning, they were in for a tough fight.

At least this time they knew what to expect. That was one advantage that would work in their favour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, no deaths this time around. Hope that's ok. :)
> 
> Although, I did seriously consider killing off Yularen. In one draft, Rex killed him, but I decided to spare him instead.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you have all enjoyed you holiday period, even if you are not back yet. I got the Thrawn novel, so I am now slowly reading through that at the moment. (no spoilers of Thrawn falls down a flight of stairs!)
> 
> In regards to last chapter and the fate of Wolffe, I'm glad you all enjoyed the shock of it. It was overly brutal I agree, and evil of me, but I'm sorry. And ot be fair, it was sort of foreshadowed earlier in the story.
> 
> Now, as for my plans for a future Anakin and Ahsoka centric story, I want to thank those that replied with ideas and opinions. I think that for now, I will focus on the one shots rather than plan a whole new story. That being said, I will write an Ahsoka and Anakin centric story at somepoint, when I feel I have a solid idea.
> 
> As for my one shots, a few of you asked what sort of things will be in them. Whilst I can't name everything that will happen, as some of them will spoil the ending of this story, I can reveal a few topics of one shots that take place before this story, thus not spoiling the outcome. There are as follows:  
> 1\. Maul and the Dagobah force cave  
> 2\. Kanera fluff. Lots and lots of Kanera fluff  
> 3\. Eighth Brother's adventures after Malachor  
> 4\. Vos and Order 66  
> 5\. Kaeden Larte visting the grave of someone she loved (ominous much, muhahahaahahaha)  
> 6\. Vader before Malachor
> 
> So there, hope this little tease gets you excited.
> 
> Next time round, Thrawn recieves a report about the Chimaera, and Ahsoka and her team run across some Imperial Supercommandos.


	35. Saxon and the Supercommandos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn receives some more news that concerns him,  
> And Ahsoka and her team encounter the Governor of Mandalore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time. Hope you enjoy.

Grand Admiral Thrawn waited.

He waited for any news.

News in regards to the no doubt ongoing battle on the Death Star.

News about repairs on the Chimaera.

News about Pryce's health.

At this point, Thrawn desired any news, rather than the troubling silence he was currently in.

The crew of the Chimaera were working with efficiency, repairing what systems they could in the wake of the attack by the Ghost. If the Star Destroyer was not back up and running by the time he needed it to be, there would be no escape.

No doubt Tano intended to destroy the station, and with a kyber crystal the size of an imperial walker on the station, Thrawn was no doubt sure that the resulting explosion would be catastrophic for any nearby ships.

And Chimaera was currently immobile next to the station.

Sighing to himself, Thrawn brought his hand up to his face, rubbing his forehead gently. The Chiss felt a headache coming on. Rarely would he call himself stressed, but the events of today, and the last few weeks had clearly had a detrimental effect on his health. He had barely slept worrying about what the station was.

And now that he knew, he could not rest easily. The power to destroy planets, to eradicate civilizations was not something he could ever be comfortable with. Even his arch nemesis would never deserve such a thing.

"Grand Admiral, I have good news." A voice came from behind the Chiss, who immediately reassumed his 'Grand Admiral' demeanour.

Turning around, Thrawn nodded to the officer that approached, gesturing for him to continue.

"Work on the Chimaera continues, but we have managed to re-establish communications outside the ship. In fact, we are currently being hailed by the Eviscerator."

'Finally, some good news.' Thrawn thought as the officer delivered the report. Communications being back up would allow him to catch up on what had happened in his absence.

But why was Admiral Versio contacting him?

"Put the Eviscerator through officer." Thrawn replied, moving towards the terminal that operated the communication channels.

The officer by said terminal touched a few icons on the display, connecting the channel.

Seconds later, Garrick Versio's voice came through the link.

"Grand Admiral, is everything ok? I witnessed the fight from here. What is the status of the Chimaera?"

Thrawn nearly rolled his eyes. He doubted that Versio was being genuine. Someone who was privy to such important and secret information probably had something to hide.

But what?

"Admiral Versio, Chimaera took heavy damage. The majority of our systems are offline, but the hull remains intact. We have only just repaired the communications systems, and are hard at work repairing the engines and the hyperdrive. What is the situation like on the battle station?" Thrawn spoke, keeping his voice steady as to not give anything away.

Versio's reply was instantaneous.

"Grand Moff Tarkin is holding off against a small band of rebel fighters, led by the Jedi that killed Lord Vader. I've sent a detachment of Deathtroopers to assist in the defence of the station, though Tarkin insists he does not need the support."

Thrawn nearly sighed audibly. Tarkin was as arrogant as ever.

"Ahsoka Tano is no Jedi Admiral, we must be cautious. Has Rax sent any additional aid?" Thrawn inquired.

"No Grand Admiral. In fact, I received orders from the Emperor to flee the system. Apparently both Rax and I are to continue work on Operation Cinder, whilst he and Tarkin deal with the intruders."

Now that was suspicious. Why would the Emperor send away two of the best Admirals from the battle. Surely the defence of this station was a priority.

Unless Operation Cinder was something even more secret.

Still, Thrawn wouldn't argue. The less support for the battle station meant that Tano and her allies would have an easier time destroying it.

Thrawn just had to make sure he and the Chimaera escaped in time.

"Understood Admiral Versio, I won't keep you any longer." Thrawn finished.

"Thank you Grand Admiral. I wish you the best."

And with that, Versio cut the comm link. No doubt the Eviscerator would leave the system shortly.

Thrawn was about to move away from the communication console, when another signal began to come through.

"Sir, that transmission is coming from an imperial shuttle, specifically Director Krennic's." The officer at the terminal spoke, confusion in his voice.

Thrawn too was concerned. Krennic was dead, so it couldn't be him.

So who could it be?

"Put it through officer." Thrawn answered, waiting to see if he recognized the voice.

He did, and Thrawn very nearly jumped for joy.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, do you read me? Thrawn, are you there?" Colonel Yularen's voice boomed through the comm link, reliving Thrawn of one of the pressures he had on himself. Yularen was still alive.

"Colonel, what happened? You disappeared for a while. I feared the worst." Thrawn spoke, keeping his voice level as to not betray any emotional concern.

"Had a run in with Commander Tano, but that's not important. I found out information about Operation Cinder. I request permission to dock on the Chimaera." Yularen replied. There was an uneasy edge to his tone, one that would worry most people.

Thrawn had long since learned that if Yularen was worried about something, then it was important.

"Your permission is granted Colonel. I'll meet you in the central hanger bay myself. We have much to discuss."

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Ahead of them was yet another security door, and on the other side, if the schematics were right, was a cargo storage area.

And if the intel from Yularen was true, Tiber Saxon and his goons were waiting for them.

Suffice to say, Ahsoka was expecting a tough fight.

As was the rest of the team.

"Tiber is not as aggressive as his brother, but he is certainly more creative. We should expect the unexpected." Fenn Rau informed the team as they approached the door. Right now, they needed any advice they could get.

Especially since they were no down more people, both from the casualties taken, and Zeb and Kallus remaining behind the defend Custos and her pack.

"We'll handle it." Tristan spoke out with confidence, gripping his blaster in his hands.

Glancing around, Ahsoka spotted Sabine. The Mandalorian had taken a nasty hit when her jetpack had been destroyed, but she was adamant that she could still fight. And Ahsoka was inclined to believe her. Sabine was a warrior at heart, admittedly with an artistic mind.

That didn't stop Ezra from fussing over her though.

"Are you sure you are ok to fight Sabine? You can sit this one out if you want."

Ahsoka imagined that behind her helmet, Sabine was rolling her eyes in despair.

"Yes Ezra I'm fine. Stop worrying so much. I'll get enough of it from Hera when we get back as it is. Besides, I'm not missing out on the opportunity to bury Saxon." Sabine replied to Ezra's concern, brushing off the hand the young Jedi had placed on her shoulder.

"Fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." Ezra replied, his voice joking, but still with evident concern.

Shifting her attention back to the door, Ahsoka spotted Gregor moving towards the control panel, beginning the hacking process to open the door.

By now, Ahsoka had expected that the imperials would have found a way to stop them hacking into the system, but either they apparently hadn't, or were not prepared for such a thing to happen.

'Or Sidious is letting us get this far.' Ahsoka thought to herself. She didn't know which a more terrifying possibility was.

"I sense movement in the force. Enemies wait for us in the next room." Quinlan Vos' voice interrupted Ahsoka's train of thought, bringing her back to reality.

Vos' statement rang true, Delving into the force herself, Ahsoka could feel the movements in the next room. Several dozen individuals were waiting for them. No doubt Saxon and his men.

"Be ready for anything." Ahsoka spoke to her entire team, who all seemed to acknowledge in their own ways.

Then, the door opened.

Stepping through the threshold of the doorway, Ahsoka glanced around the large room.

Tall stacks of crates were present, lining up and forming what appeared to be maze. The room was spacious, with plenty of room to move around in.

"Saxon!" A quiet voice snarled next to her, one belonging to Fenn Rau.

Glancing forward, Ahsoka spotted a single figure, dressed in what appeared to be Stormtrooper armour, but with a jetpack attached, one that was clearly Mandalorian in design.

He stood alone, with no backup, and no weapon out. It was as if he was waiting for someone.

"Commander Ahsoka Tano, a pleasure to meet you at last." The figure spoke out, still not moving to attack in any form.

Glancing around the room again, Ahsoka began to move forward, her team flanking her.

"Governor Tiber Saxon I presume. I'm surprised you haven't shot us on sight yet." Ahsoka spoke. She was unsure exactly what game Saxon was playing. After all, she could sense the presence of his allies all around them.

"I may be a pragmatist willing to forgo some of our traditions Commander, but there is one I hold sacred. An all-out fight will solve nothing." Saxon responded, gesturing his hands to make his point.

Around them, Ahsoka felt movement.

"So what then? You just going to let us pass on by without a fight?" Ahsoka inquired. The longer she kept him talking, the more time she and the others had to plan.

"Of course not. I have no intention of letting you through here. The Emperor's station will not be destroyed today. I merely have an alternate solution, one that will not spill unnecessary blood."

Ahsoka listened. Mandalorians were known for certain customs, and she had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"I propose single combat. A one of one fight to the death. Winner takes all." Saxon spoke, his voice full of confidence.

Inwardly, Ahsoka smirked. Had he seriously just challenged her to a one on one duel? Mandalorians were dangerous, she would admit that. Her past experience fighting Pre Vizsla was testament to that.

But Saxon did not possess a darksaber.

"I accept." Ahsoka spoke in return, reaching for her lightsabers.

This should be an easy fight.

"NO! Not the two of us, but rather representatives from either side, chosen by their leader. The only catch, they must be Mandalorian." Saxon interrupted, his voice smug.

'Well kriff!' Ahsoka thought. She had clearly misread the situation. It was strange that Saxon was not going to fight himself. Most Mandalorians relished a fight, especially a one on one.

She could refuse of course, but then they would have to fight the whole army of supercommandos, and she didn't like those odds.

So that left her with a problem. She had to make another difficult choice.

She had three Mandalorians on her team. Sabine was already hurt, so she was a no go.

Rau was a leader, one that had been a warrior for many years. She had faith in his abilities.

But he too was hurt. The blaster bolt he had taken may have been shrugged off at the time, but the bruising that would come would no doubt impair his abilities slightly.

So that just left her with Tristan.

Tristan was an unknown to Ahsoka. She knew little about his abilities, or his skill in single combat.

But if he was anything like his sister, she was sure he would be fine.

"So Commander Tano, I will pick my champion first. Captain Hark, step forward." Saxon spoke again, his voice raising to call his subordinate.

The sound of a jetpack roaring hit Ahsoka's montrals, as an armoured figure flew up from behind the crates, descending to land next to Tiber Saxon. His armour was some sort of amalgamation of Mandalorian beskar, and Stormtrooper armour.

"Yes Governor. You summoned me?" The man called Hark responded with an accented voice.

"You shall be our representative in this single combat match. Do you accept?" Saxon continued, gesturing to the assembled rebels.

Hark glanced from Saxon to the rebels, and then back to Saxon.

"I do Governor. It will be an honour."

Tiber Saxon smiled viciously, before shifting his gaze back to Ahsoka, his eyes locking onto hers.

"Your turn Commander Tano. Pick your champion."

Ahsoka remained still, not saying anything. She was still unsure who to pick.

Rau or Tristan?

"I'll do it. I need to avenge my people." Fenn Rau spoke first stepping forward, as Ahsoka had expected him to. It was no secret that Rau wanted revenge for what happened to the Protectors of Concord Dawn. The atrocity had been caused by Tiber's now dead brother.

That concerned Ahsoka. What if Rau lost his focus because of the past? If his grief and desire for revenge got the better of him, then he would lose.

Plus, with him wounded, he was not the best choice.

"I volunteer as well Commander." Tristan Wren's voice spoke up next, despite the pleas of his sister behind him.

Taking a breath, Ahsoka made up her mind.

"I won't have you martyring yourself for your people Rau. Tristan, you're up."

Ahsoka would no doubt hear an earful of it later from both Rau and Sabine, but that mattered little now. She needed Tristan to do this.

She believed he could.

"I won't let you down Commander." Tristan replied, before stepping forward alongside Ahsoka.

Saxon watched the decision with a neutral face.

"Excellent, we can begin then. Please step forward Tristan Wren. Join Captain Hark in the middle."

Tristan did as he was told, stepping forward into the centre of the room.

Hark moved to face him on the opposite side, the two warriors facing one another.

Saxon then moved, walking up in between the two combatants, and producing two long silver blades from sheathes. They were not quite swords, but they were clearly daggers for fighting.

"This battle shall focus on the user's skill with a Beskad blade. No blasters, no explosives, no technology whatsoever. Only the body and the blade. Do you understand?" Saxon spoke to the two duellists, offering each a Beskad blade.

Both Tristan and Hark accepted the blades, nodding in understanding.

"Excellent. Single combat begins on the count of three." Saxon spoke, moving back a safe distance from the fight, and returning to his previous position opposite Ahsoka and her team.

"One."

Ahsoka glanced at Tristan to see him limbering up for the fight.

"Two."

"Kick his arse Mandalorian friend!" Hondo boomed out from behind her, making Ahsoka cringe at the shout.

Saxon paused, whether for dramatic effect or some other reason, Ahsoka did not know. All she could do was wait with baited breath.

"Three!"

Hark charged first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a somewhat short chapter this time round. Sorry about that. Hopefully it sets the stage for the next chapter well though. Hope you Mando lovers like it.
> 
> Anyway, happy new year to everyone. Let's see if 2018 is as full of poodoo as 2017 was.
> 
> Now, I wanted to give you all a brief update of where things stand with this story at the moment. As it stands, I am about four chapters ahead, and from the feel of the story I think I only have about five or six more chapters to go. That means that this story should come to a close around chapter 45, give or take. Nearly there now folks. Hope you like. :)
> 
> Also, as a fun fact, the set up for the duel in the first outline of this story was very different. In the original draft, Tristan Wren didn't join the mission, and the fight in the next chapter was between Ahsoka with her lightsabers, and Saxon with a lightwhip he acquired from somewhere. I changed it when Tristan joined, both to give him a moment to shine, as well as give Ahsoka a bit of a rest. And let's face it, Ahsoka vs. Saxon would be a but unfair wouldn't it? Saxon would be demolished.
> 
> Oh, and for those that don't know/remember, Captain Hark is the Supercommando from 'Heroes of Mandalore' that runs away at the end. Hope you like his inclusion here.
> 
> Anyway, next time round, it's Mando on Mando violence. Who will win?


	36. Trial by Single Combat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tristan Wren duels Captain Hark,  
> But who will win?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a quicker than normal update this time round. Hope you like.

Hark closed the distance between himself and Tristan in seconds, lunging forward with his beskad blade in an attempt to gut Tristan. Yet the Wren brother clearly anticipated this, and evaded backwards in a roll, before coming to stand again.

Hark attempted to strike again, bringing the blade across in a sweeping motion, aiming for the weak points in Tristan's armour. In response, Tristan moved his blade in a similar motion, clashing with Hark's and causing the supercommando to stumble slightly under the blow.

Tristan then seized his offensive, launching a leg outwards to land a kick to Hark's abdomen. The blow knocked the wind out of Hark temporarily, before the supercommando regained his balance and countered with his own melee assault.

The two warriors became locked in a game of patience, both waiting for the opportunity to strike where the armour was weakest. Beskar armour was among the strongest in the galaxy, and could withstand most things short of a lightsaber. Yet even then it had weaknesses, something that both Mandalorians knew, and both sought to exploit.

All it would take was one well-placed blow to a gap in the armour pieces and the fighter would go down.

Hark attacked again, this time feigning an attempt to assault Tristan's right hand side of the body, before shifting at the last minute to attack the left. Tristan, unprepared for the deception had little choice but to attack himself.

Both warriors' blades clashed against their opponents armour, scratching a deep groove into the armour plating, but not bypassing it. Both warriors jumped back again in frustration, before Hark growled under his breath and charged again, not giving Tristan any time to recover.

The supercommando unleashed a flurry of aggressive strikes, swinging his blade in all directions. Tristan evaded what he could, and redirected the others, trying to throw Hark off balance.

But the supercommando kept of coming, his aggression only increasing as the duel went on.

From the sides of the duel, Tiber Saxon watched with a sinister smirk on his face.

Tristan countered another blow from Hark, before careening forward himself and elbowing Hark in the face. The resulting clang of elbow against helmet echoed around the room, and Hark stumbled back dazed from the blow.

Tristan then seized his opportunity, angling his blade for the supercommando's neck and lunging.

But Hark retaliated, bringing his own blade upwards to clash with the Wren's. The two suddenly found themselves in a blade lock, despite the size of the blades.

Both pushed with all their might, trying to overpower the other duellist.

When it was clear that neither were gaining any ground, Hark pulled his blade to the side.

The sudden force of the move wrenched the blade from Tristan's hand, sending it across the room and out of reach.

"Oh kriff!" Tristan muttered to himself as Hark advanced on him with another flurry of strikes. Without a blade of his own he was in trouble.

Evading another blow, Tristan brought his hand up to grasp Hark's wrist, specifically the one that held the Beskad blade.

The two wrestled against one another for control of the blade, their free hands, coming to lock trade blows on other parts of the bodies, before too locking together into the ongoing struggle.

The room around them was near silent, the only sounds being the struggle between the two Mandalorians.

Once again, neither warrior gained any ground, and it was clear to Tristan that Hark was the superior fighter. That meant he had to end this before it went any further.

Tilting his hand slightly, Tristan began to redirect the point of the blade towards Hark's thigh.

Then, with as much strength as he could muster, Tristan pulled the blade down.

Hark yelled in agony as the blade was sent thundering downwards, piercing into the gaps of his armour surrounding his knee.

Tristan pulled the blade back out as Hark collapsed to the floor, blooding oozing out of his kneecap.

Not waiting for Hark to recover, Tristan brought to blade down again, this time into the gap between Hark's helmet and torso.

The blade pierced into Hark's neck, who released a pained gurgle, before slumping to the floor dead.

Tristan stepped back from the dead supercommando, before glancing over to his team.

"Ha ha! I knew he could do it! Didn't I tell you Kenobi?" Hondo boomed enthusiastically, whacking the Jedi Master on the back with joy as he did.

"Yes Hondo, you did." Obi-Wan replied simply, his eyes watching Tristan.

Shifting his gaze, Tristan noticed both Sabine and Rau nodding their heads in respect. Clearly they had underestimated his skill.

Tristan was about to turn back around the face Saxon when he heard two sharp sounds, one after another, in quick succession.

The first was the sound of a blaster firing.

The second, a lightsaber igniting.

*************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka had watched with bated breath during the fight. She had full confidence in Tristan to handle the situation. He had more than proved himself so far. But right now, she had bigger concerns.

She didn't trust Saxon to uphold his word. She knew that many Mandalorians were honourable, but from what she had heard of Tiber Saxon, he was the exact opposite.

So when he had offered a duel to the death in the style of Mandalorian honour, she had been sceptical. There was no way he was going to keep his word.

So she waited and prepared, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber discreetly, waiting for what she believed was inevitable.

Whilst everyone else watched the ongoing duel, she kept her eyes locked solely on Tiber Saxon, watching and analysing his every movement, no matter how minimal. If he made any such move to strike, she would be ready.

The duel went on, and Ahsoka waited. She could see by the look on Saxon's face that he was planning something. Even at this distance, she could see the spark of deceit in them.

A roar of agony erupted around the room, flooding her senses. The sound didn't match Tristan's tone, so it must have been Hark.

But rather than shift her gaze, she kept watching Saxon, judging his reaction.

The Mandalorian governor's face contorted in shock and rage, a clear sign that his man had lost.

It was then that Tiber Saxon began to reach for his blaster.

In response, Ahsoka drew the hilt of her lightsaber.

Time seemed to slow for a moment. She was aware of Hondo booming out in joy, as well as the rest of the team breathing a sigh of relief. But that didn't matter. Instead, with speed she didn't know she possessed, she moved to Tristan's side.

The sound of a blaster firing echoed in her montrals.

'No you don't!' Ahsoka thought as she moved between Tristan and Saxon, igniting her saber.

The white blade shone in the centre, and Ahsoka swung the blade in a vicious arc, deflecting Saxon's shot back at him.

Ahsoka watched as the Mandalorian governor's face froze in horror, before his own blaster shot hit him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Chaos erupted in that moment.

From behind the tall boxes, a pair of imperial AT-ST's emerged, blaster cannons firing down upon the rebels, who by now had figured out Saxon's deception.

The team sprang into action, even as the remaining imperial supercommandos joined the fight. Some perched on top of the crates, whilst others flew around with their jetpacks.

Blaster fire resonated around the storage bay, blasts impacting on walls and the armour of the imperial walkers. The AT-ST's would prove a serious problem unless the various lightsaber wielders could get close enough to destroy the legs.

Though at the moment that wasn't possible, thanks to the supercommandos. The imperial elite troopers were actively defending the walker's weak spot. They had clearly been trained well, not that Ahsoka expected anything less from Mandalorians.

"Gregor, use the rocket launcher!" Ahsoka could make out Rex's voice among the commotion, and glanced to the side in time to see Gregor mount the heavy weapon on his shoulder.

Gregor pulled the trigger, launching the projectile towards the imperial AT-ST. The missile hit the cockpit, shattering the head of the walker into pieces, killing the driver and rendering it out of the fight.

That just left one. Shifting back to the battle, Ahsoka found herself face to face with an imperial supercommando wielding another Beskad blade.

Dropping into a ready stance, Ahsoka prepared for what would be an interesting duel.

The commando lunged with his blade, before swooping it to the side, trying to catch one of Ahsoka's swinging lekku.

It was a sound strategy. Togruta relied on their lekku as a major sensory organ. Even with access to the force and all the power that presented, Ahsoka often found herself falling back to her Togrutan biology in situations. The passive echolocation had saved her life many times before. If this supercommando landed even one blow to them, let alone with a blade, it would seriously impair her ability to fight.

Jumped back out of range of the supercommando's lunge, Ahsoka brought her shoto blade forward, mimicking the supercommando. There were no lekku to target on him, but that didn't really matter when she had a lightsaber.

The commando responded as expected, evading backwards, out of reach of the deadly white blades in Ahsoka's hands. She opted to push the offensive, swinging up with her primary blade, aiming for his face, whilst leaving herself open on the other side. Her hope was that the supercommando would try to capitalize on her 'mistake'.

Said supercommando did. Evading Ahsoka's swing, he lunged forward with the beskad blade, aiming for Ahsoka's unarmoured side.

Allowing a small smirk to come to her face, Ahsoka sprung her trap, bringing her shoto across her front. The blade made contact with the supercommando's arm, severing the limb holding the blade from his body, before pivoting round and swinging her primary blade, decapitating the supercommando.

Ahsoka didn't stop to watch the head roll off the body, instead she turned her attention back to the fight around her.

The remaining AT-ST was approaching her position, cannons roaring at her.

Evading to the side again and again to avoid deadly cannon fire, Ahsoka waited for her opportunity.

Only, she didn't have to. Moments later, a rotating red blur came speeding over her head.

Maul's lightsaber.

The Zabrak had clearly thrown it, manipulating the rotation via the force. The rotating red blade sliced through the legs of the walker, causing it to topple and crush one of the supercommandos beneath it providing support.

Glancing behind her, Ahsoka locked her blue eyes with Maul's golden one. The Zabrak nodded his head, summoning his saber back with one hand whilst choking a supercommando with the other.

With both walkers down, the fight began to swing more in the favour of the rebels. One by one, the remaining supercommandos fell, until there were none left.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ahsoka extinguished her blades, moving back to the centre of the room where her team was gathering up.

"Good work everyone. We outwitted that trap." Ahsoka spoke with pride as she approached the others. Sabine was busy clasping her brother's shoulder in a gesture of pride, one that Tristan seemed embarrassed about.

"I should have guessed Saxon would try something like that. He always was one to spurn our deepest traditions." Fenn Rau spoke with a sneer in his voice. Ahsoka would have questioned why a Mandalorian was so willing to go against tradition, but she first-hand had seen it done time and time again, and not just by Mandalorians.

When times were desperate, people did anything to win.

"It matters little now. We need to keep moving. I'll contact Hera again, make sure we're on the right track." Ahsoka spoke to the team, receiving several nods of agreement. The unspoken reason behind such a statement was allow a brief respite for the team after such a battle.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Tiber Saxon heard voices. He felt pain in his chest, a searing burn that cascaded throughout his body.

He had been shot, that much was clear. But what surprised him was that he had been shot by himself.

In a manner of speaking.

He knew it was foolish to attack a Jedi head on. That was why he had aimed for the Wren sibling instead.

What he hadn't anticipated was the Togruta moving at an unnatural speed to defend her comrade.

And promptly deflect his own shot back at him.

Tiber opened his eyes despite the pain in caused. His vision was red, most likely due to the pain, but right now he cared little. From his position, slumped up against a crate, he could see the Togruta. She had her back to him, talking to her team members, no doubt congratulating them.

"Togruta bitch!" Saxon mumbled under his voice. He glanced around slowly, making sure not to be seen, and found what he was searching for.

Luckily, when he had fallen, his blaster had not gone far. Reaching out, he grasped the weapon, bringing it into his hands, and aimed.

His vision began to degrade, getting blurrier and blurrier over time. The figures before him became mere shapes, each different sizes, but aside from that, indistinguishable.

Still, he knew where his target was standing.

"Jedi scum!" Saxon mumbled again, this time louder. His sights were trained on the leader, on the Togruta who had done this to him.

Saxon took a breath, and squeezed the trigger.

His blaster fired once, a red bolt erupting from the end of the weapon.

Through his distorted vision, Saxon saw the bolt hit, and witnessed a figure go down from the bolt. He heard the pained yell, and well as the shocked responses from the assembled rebels.

And then he felt it. A barrage of blaster fire hit him in the chest, searing hot.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

This time round, Ahsoka heard the blaster shot before she could react.

Once again, time slowed for her.

She felt something slam into her, knocking her to the floor. She crashed down with force, a searing, agonizing pain present in her rear lekku.

She was aware of the shocked yells of her team, as well as the responsive blaster fire from Fenn Rau.

Time remained slow, the pain in her lekku not fading as she hoped. Whatever had happened was bad, she could tell.

The only question was what exactly had happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, duuuuunnnnnnnnn!
> 
> Talk about a cliffhanger huh?
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the duel in this chapter. I could have had it last a long time, but I figured that with Mandalorians, that sort of fight is going to be relatively short, considering warrior culture and all. Still, hope you liked it, even if the Supercommando's went down somewhat easily.
> 
> In Memorium: Tiber Saxon
> 
> Saxon may not have been very important in this story, but since he is the first imperial leader to die since Krennic I figured he should have a 'In Memorium' moment.
> 
> Tiber Saxon is pretty much the most un-Mandalorian Mandalorian in Star Wars Canon. He is very willing to toss aside every aspect of Mando culture for his own gain, as shown both in this chapter and in rebels. In a way, I can respect his pragmatism, and kinda wish we got to see more of him in rebels, aside from the five minutes of screentime he got.
> 
> Still, he had to die in this AU as well. No way Fenn Rau was going to let him live. Though it seems that there now may be lasting consequences of Tiber Saxon's final actions.
> 
> Next time round we deal with the aftermath of Saxon's last actions. What could have possibly happened? Place your bets!


	37. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Thrawn and Yularen discuss their next move,  
> And the aftermath of Tiber Saxon's shot is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, heavy chapter time. Enjoy.

The pain in her lekku was sharp, something that was not good for Togruta in general. They relied on those organs for so many things, and with the injury she had just taken, whatever is was, Ahsoka could tell that it was having a detrimental effect on her.

She had a headache, and her vision was blurry and disorientated. The sounds around her were amplified, sounding far louder than they should be.

However, the searing pain in her rear lekku, once being the worst of the agony, began to fade.

She had assumed she had been shot, and that she had been hit in her lekku somewhere, hence the searing pain.

But as the world around her returned to normal, Ahsoka discovered the truth.

Someone had tried to shoot her…

But someone else had pushed her out of the way.

And in doing so, she had landed on her back, her rear lekku slamming into the ground, crushed beneath the weight of her head, as well as the force of the fall.

There would be no lasting damage, only a minor ache in her head for the time being.

Groaning from the fall, Ahsoka began to sit up, her vision returning to normal. Glancing around, Ahsoka saw the shocked faces of her team members.

She didn't know why, it wasn't like she was badly hurt of anything.

It was then that she noticed two things.

There was a smell in the air near her, like burning flesh that had been hit by a blaster bolt.

The second was that her team was not looking at her, but at someone behind her.

Dread filled her senses as she turned around, her eyes locking onto a figure who was sat up against a nearby crate, hand clutching a bad scorch on his stomach.

"No." Ahsoka whispered as she moved, coming to the side of her wounded comrade.

"How bad is it?" The Togruta asked, concern in her voice.

The response was a series of coughs, followed by Saw Gerrerra moving his hand away from the wound for Ahsoka to inspect.

"Pretty bad commander. I think I'm done this time." Saw replied with a slur, pain clearly travelling through his body.

Saw had been shot! He had been shot protecting her. And now it looked like…

"Hey, hey it's alright. Couldn't let you get taken out like that. Don't worry about old Saw." Saw spoke, offering comfort to Ahsoka despite the situation. He clearly understood how bad a shape he was in.

The wound was grievous. Saxon's blaster bolt had struck Saw through the side of his stomach, scorching and burning away skin that otherwise protected vital organs.

He only had a little time left.

"No Saw it's not alright. You shouldn't have done that. What were you thinking?" Ahsoka spoke, grief in her voice. She was about to lose another one of her friends.

A small smile came to Saw's face before he replied.

"I was thinking about what Steela would have done in that situation."

Ahsoka doubted that Saw had said that to hurt her. He knew the level of guilt she felt because of Steela's demise. And now Saw was going to die for her, and she would be responsible for the death of another Gerrerra sibling.

"No Saw, we're going to get you out of here. Rex, get me some bacta, now!" Ahsoka spoke with resolve, raising her voice.

Rex, equally concerned, rushed to their side, reaching onto his belt to extract a small medical kit her carried around.

But Saw lifted his hand, grasping Rex's in his, and pushed away the offered support.

"Won't do me much good. Save it. It might be needed later on."

Ahsoka shook her head, her eyes locking onto Saw's.

"Saw." The Togruta woman begged. She could save him. Sure, he wouldn't be able to help any further, but he would survive.

But Saw seemed resolute. He reached out with his other hand, the one that was covering his wound, and grasped Ahsoka's shoulder.

"Now you listen to me. All of you! You go out there, and you give the Emperor hell. Destroy this station, and kill that kriffing bastard. And then all of you get off this station and go live you lives. Promise me that. Promise old Saw." Saw spoke, his voice getting more and more distorted as pain took over.

Behind her, Ahsoka felt the sadness emanating from the team, as well as the respect they had for the man. Many may not like him for his extremist nature, but when push came to shove, Saw Gerrerra would do what was right.

"And Ahsoka. You make sure you get out of here too. Your girl's waiting for you." Saw spoke with humour this time, before coughing violently again.

Ahsoka nodded, her eyes never leaving Saw's.

Saw smiled back at his friend, before his head began to droop, and his eyes close.

Ahsoka could feel him fading rapidly, and she wanted to stop him. To save him.

But then he spoke again, this time under his breath for only Ahsoka to here.

"I'm coming Steela."

Ahsoka's heart broke at Saw's comment, and she found she couldn't stop him. He wanted to be with his sister.

And she would let him.

Moments later, Saw stopped moving, and his form became still. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel him no more.

Saw Gerrerra was dead.

*********************************************************************************************************************

"The Emperor has another superweapon under construction?"

The mortification was evident in Thrawn's voice. It was clear that the Chiss despised the Death Star. To be told that the Emperor had another project like it was almost inconceivable. Had someone told Yularen that one day he would be involved in a massive conspiracy involving doomsday weapons, he would have laughed in their faces.

There was no such thing as doomsday weapons… right?

Then again, the past few days had proven otherwise.

"From what I was able to learn from the information, Operation Cinder is some kind of fallback plan if the Emperor should ever be killed. Apparently it will be used to keep any systems from pulling away from the empire in the light of Palpatine's death." Yularen reiterated what he had discovered to Thrawn. The two sat in Thrawn's office on the Chimaera, discussing what to do next.

"No doubt that involved using aggressive force against anyone who desires to leave. You said that the operation would target entire planets?" Thrawn spoke as he listened. In his lap, his pet Ysalamir sat, gently being stroked by the Chiss. Yularen didn't understand Thrawn's love of his exotic pet, but he wouldn't question it. Everyone had their own little quirks. Thrawn's just happened to be art and culture, as well as exotic animals.

"Yes. According to the data I decrypted, imperial loyalist planets such as Vardos will be targeted by some sort of weapon, instilling fear into anyone who seeks to abandon the empire should Palpatine fall." Yularen continued, watching Thrawn's reaction as he spoke. The Chiss' face had one of both deep contemplation, as well as hidden fear.

"Then the Inquisitor was right. It will not be long before this weapon is turned against the non-human worlds as a message. What did you do with the data?" Thrawn spoke again, the far our look that had been in his eyes fading away.

Yularen did not hesitate. Thrawn might not like it, but Yularen had made his choice.

"I gave it to Ahsoka Tano. I trust she and her rebels will find a way to destroy Operation Cinder after they are done here."

Yularen waited, expecting to be blasted by Thrawn for his betrayal. But the Chiss sat quiet, no real expression on his face.

That was the scariest part. Yularen could not tell what Thrawn was thinking.

Then, after a few more beats of silence, the Chiss nodded his head.

"A wise choice Colonel. I would have done the same thing, but made a copy of it for myself in the process. So, what do you recommend we do about it then? Admiral's Versio and Rax have already received orders from the Emperor to prepare Operation Cinder for immediate use."

Yularen released a sigh he had been holding, before getting back to the discussion at hand. If Thrawn was willingly to overlook his decision, then he would not bring it up again. After all, they had bigger problems now.

"From the sounds of it the Emperor is expecting to die today, or else he would not have sent Versio and Rax away. If that station explodes, it will take everything around it with it. We should focus on repairing Chimaera's hyperdrive and engines, get medical aid for Governor Pryce, and then figure out a way of stopping this Operation Cinder ourselves."

Thrawn listened intently as Yularen relayed his suggestion, taking the vital parts of it and evidently working it into his own plans.

"I agree with your assessment Colonel. Medical aid for Pryce must be our first objective. Afterwards, we will need to gather more allies to stop this Operation Cinder, as well as any other mystery weapons the Emperor has lying around."

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka did not weep. She did not release a cry of despair. She did not shout curses out at the loss.

Instead, the Togruta rose from her place beside the still form of Saw Gerrerra and spoke.

"That's on me." Ahsoka gestured towards Saw's body, referring to his sacrifice to protect her, "Not you lot. Come on."

And then she marched off, fire and determination in her eyes. The other force users present could feel the anger and rage flowing off of her in waves. After the loss of so many of her team, she was allowing herself to become more aggressive. More hostile.

Ahsoka knew that it was dangerous, especially with Sidious seeking to corrupt her.

But at that moment she didn't care. She would risk it if it meant destroying the Sith Lord.

Taking point, Ahsoka led the way to the door on the far side of the storage bay, allowing Ezra to open the door, before passing through.

A pair of unlucky Stormtroopers were waiting in the hallway, and were promptly thrown against a wall with the force, a resounding crack flooding Ahsoka's senses as they hit.

Leading the team down the hallway, Ahsoka found herself at a junction. In front of her was a turbolift, one that went to another part of the station.

To one side, a locked door. If what Hera had told her was right, that was direction they needed to go to get to the crystal. Gesturing with her hand towards the door, Ezra moved to begin opening it.

The security on this door was clearly stronger than the previous ones, judging by Ezra's slow progress, as well as bad language, for which Kanan chastised him for.

While they waited, Ahsoka allowed herself to listen to the force. Something was trying to get into her head.

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka delved into the force. It wasn't Sidious, that much she was sure. His presence was very distinguishable.

The presence that was calling to her however was just as dark, but at the same time seemed to radiate knowledge and power.

And it was familiar to her.

'Come to me. Reclaim what is yours.' A voice whispered suddenly in Ahsoka's head, solidifying a connection in the force.

Opening her eyes, Ahsoka turned to face the turbolifts. Through the force, she could feel the call, directing her to the lift. She had to take it.

'He waits above. Destroy him!' The voice whispered in her head again.

She knew then what the voice was referring to. The Emperor was waiting for her at the top of the lift. And she had to face him.

It had always been her destiny since Malachor, since she had slain Darth Vader.

She would have to face Darth Sidious in person.

In that moment, she made her decision, and felt her feet begin to carry her forward.

That was until a red and black hand grasped her arm, pulling her back. Ahsoka turned her gaze to the person beside her, and locked eyes with Maul's golden ones.

"What is it Lady Tano? What do you sense?"

The entire team turned to face her in concern.

Ahsoka lowered her gaze briefly, reaching back into the force in search of Sidious.

When she found his presence, she spoke.

"The Emperor is up that turbolift. I'm going to go face him. The rest of you destroy the crystal and get back to the Ghost."

Ahsoka expected resistance from her team. She expected them to call it a suicide mission. A suicide mission inside of a suicide mission.

And, as expected, the team broke out in exclamation.

"What, are you crazy?"

"Commander no!"

"You're no match for him!"

"Ahsoka?"

"Kriff!"

Ahsoka nearly shouted, she nearly yelled at her team to complete the mission without her.

She braced herself to, readying her 'commander voice'.

That was until Maul held up a hand, silencing the team. He had been the only one not to object, and now he clearly had something to say.

His golden eyes locked onto Ahsoka's blue ones, reading her intent to the best of his ability.

Then, the Zabrak spoke.

"Long ago you promised me that when the time came you would allow me to strike down Sidious. If you are going to face him, then so am I."

Ahsoka did not reply. She remembered the promise she had made on Malachor, and she fully intended to keep it.

And truth be told, she would rather have Maul by her side in this fight. He knew how his old master fought, what tactics he applied.

"I remember Maul. You can come. We'll end him together."

Maul nodded, before moving to stand beside Ahsoka, facing the rest of the team.

Then another voice spoke up, one that should not have surprised Ahsoka.

"I'm coming too. This fight may be yours Ahsoka, but I want to help see it through." Obi-Wan spoke, a surprisingly dark look in his weary eyes. It was clear that he wanted to avenge those that were lost, to avenge Anakin. Ahsoka very nearly pointed out the hypocrisy of a Jedi wanting revenge, much like Vader had to her on Malachor.

Instead, she remained nodded at her grandmaster. He, like Maul and herself had more than enough reason to want to end Sidious. The three of them had suffered the most because of him. It only made sense that they be the ones to end him.

Obi-Wan moved, coming to stand on the other side of Ahsoka. Briefly, Ahsoka felt discomfort from Maul, before resigned acceptance that he would have to fight with Kenobi.

Ahsoka then looked back out over the assembled team, watching each of their reactions. Most saw the benefit behind Ahsoka's plan. Even if they destroyed the station, there was no guarantee that Sidious would die. He could escape in the nick of time, and go on the further crush innocent people.

But if they ended him for certain, then they wouldn't have to worry about him surviving. By going after him directly, whilst trying to destroy the station at the same time, Ahsoka and her team would score at least one victory.

And Ahsoka knew that she would have a harder time than the others. After all, not even Master Yoda had defeated Sidious.

Still, she had to try, and if Maul and Obi-Wan were willing to risk a chance to help her destroy Sidious once and for all, then she was grateful.

Then, a fourth volunteer stepped forward, shocking both Ahsoka and the rest of the team.

"Mind if I help as well? Never know when you might need a blind man to help fight a dangerous Sith Lord." Kanan spoke, humour in his voice despite the seriousness of his request.

Ahsoka was no surprised by Maul and Obi-Wan… but why did Kanan want to come along? He had no real reason to go up against the Emperor.

"Are you sure Kanan?" Ahsoka enquired, worry in her voice. Next to Kanan, Ahsoka saw Ezra's face take on one of horror at the thought of his master in danger.

His mask may have shielded his eyes, but Ahsoka could swear that Kanan was looking right at her.

"Someone once told me that there would come a day that you would face a great evil, and that I would have to stand by your side. I get the feeling that today is that day."

Ahsoka didn't question who had said such a thing. It was the sort of prophetic nonsense a Jedi or Sith master would come up with.

She didn't want to accept. She would be putting Kanan in great risk if she did. Sidious was not to be trifled with. Kanan had stood little chance against Vader back on Malachor. What hope did he have of facing Sidious?

But in the end, Ahsoka realised that it was not her choice. If Kanan wanted to risk it, she would have faith in his abilities, just as he had faith in hers to lead this mission.

"Fine, you can come. But no getting killed. I don't want to have to explain that one to Hera." Ahsoka answered, humour also in her voice.

"If Kanan's going then so I am!" Ezra spoke up next unsurprisingly. He was loyal to his master, and followed him everywhere.

And while she may be willing to allow Kanan to risk it, she was not Ezra.

Stepping forward, Ahsoka gripped Ezra round the shoulders.

"No Ezra. I need you and Vos to deal with the kyber crystal. As Jedi you will be able to sense it. And Vos is an expert at tracking. Take the rest of the team and find the crystal." Ahsoka spoke clearly yet kindly, reassuring the young Jedi.

"But Ahsoka…" Ezra tried to argue before the Togruta silenced him again.

"No buts Ezra. There is something else I need you to do though. Can I trust you with it?" She asked, reaching for something in a pouch on her belt.

The young Jedi locked his eyes onto Ahsoka's, despair and helplessness present, but also understanding. The young man knew he stood no chance against the Emperor, and if Ahsoka trusted him with another task…

"You can trust me Ahsoka. What do you need me to do?"

Ahsoka smiled before grasping Ezra's hand in hers, transferring the small disc that Yularen had given her to the boy.

"I need you to get this information to rebel command. See if you can find out what this 'Operation Cinder' thing is all about. If we don't come back from our fight with the Emperor, the responsibilities fall to you. Can I trust you young Jedi?" Ahsoka spoke compassionately, showing her trust to the young man.

Ezra grasped the data drive in his hand, before pulling away from Ahsoka and nodding.

"I'll get it done Ahsoka, but you're all coming back alive, that's an order."

Ahsoka nearly laughed at Ezra's instruction. At least he was remaining optimistic.

"Consider it done kid… I hope." Kanan butted in from beside him, before moving to join Ahsoka and her team.

Rex then stepped forward, removing his helmet to look Ahsoka in the eyes. The hazel orbs radiated concern and dread, as well as determination and understanding.

"I like this even less than when you went to Malachor without me, but I trust your judgement commander."

With that, her oldest friend snapped a sharp salute, before replacing his helmet and re-joining the others.

Vos then spoke up.

"Kinda wish I was going with you to visit old Palps. Oh well. Bring me back something nice would you?"

This time Ahsoka did chuckle. Vos certainly had a way with words.

"Will do Quinlan. May the force be with you."

Vos smiled back at Ahsoka, before nodding his head at Obi-Wan with a smirk, and then moving to stand beside Ezra.

"Come on kid. Let's go kick some imperial backside, see just how badly Jarrus has been teaching you."

"HEY!"

With that, Ahsoka turned and entered the waiting turbolift, which Maul had summoned in the meantime. Obi-Wan and Kanan followed, squeezing into the tight space as best the four could.

Before the elevator departed, Ahsoka spoke once more to her team.

"Remember, only stay long enough to destabilize the crystal. Once you have, get back to the Ghost. If we are not there soon afterwards, get out of here and we'll find another way out. Now go and make yourselves proud."

And with that, Ahsoka placed her palm on the control panel, and the doors to the turbolift closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I'm expecting some unhappy people with this chapter.
> 
> In Memorium: Saw Gerrerra
> 
> There are many words to describe Saw. Rebel, extremist, terrorist, psychopath, Bor Gullet.
> 
> But when push comes to shove, Saw is always there to prove himself. Many may not agree with his tactics, but without him the rebellion would be a whole lot weaker. He is, in a way, an anti-hero and the highest caliber.
> 
> That being said, he is also living with extreme guilt, as well as evident repressed depression. He lost so much in a short amount of time, and anger seems to be his only way the forget that. You can't fault him for it, even if it makes him borderline evil at times.
> 
> Though in the end, for this AU I wanted him to go out heroically, saving the life of someone in the process. The fact that it is Ahsoka adds a certain amount of irony to it, considering how his sister died.
> 
> Still, Saw is at peace now. I only hope I did his character justice, and that the way he dies is realistic enough.
> 
> Anyway, away from morbid topics. We are inching ever closer to the finale now people, and I have to admit, writing it is kicking my butt. Updates may slow a bit more now, but I will try to post at least twice a week. Hope that's ok for you all.
> 
> This chapter was originally longer, but I split it into two chapters to give myself a bit of reprieve, as well as make it flow a bit better. Hopefully you'll see why next chapter.
> 
> Also, I know some of you may question why Vos isn't going to face Sidious, but Kanan is. Let's just say that Vos is going to be needed elsewhere. And as for Kanan, remember what Bendu told him back in 'Vendetta's and Strategems'.
> 
> Oh, and as for how Ahsoka knew where to go. Assume she was speaking to Hera before she got shot at by Saxon. Since that scene is in Saxon's POV, we don't hear the discussion. Hope that's ok. :)
> 
> Anyway, next time round, we check in with various members of the team, and Ahsoka embraces her inner Vader with a massive parallel.


	38. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which various members of the team encounter various problems.  
> And an Imperial Royal Guard has a really really bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chaptet this time round, setting up what is next. Hope you enjoy. :)

"Ok, I've rigged the catwalk above the door to collapse on any imperials that come through with some of Sabine's presents. How's things going over there?" The gruff voice of Garazeb Orrelios echoed across the hanger bay.

Suffice to say, their situation was dire. All Kallus and Zeb had to do was hold the lone long enough for Hera to get the Ghost to their position, and wait for the rest of the team.

So it was the two of them versus endless legions of imperial troopers.

But at least they had a pack of Wookiees to help.

The lead Wookiee growled something out to the others, clearly ordered her pack members to take cover behind various crates that Kallus had set up as cover for the fight.

"Good work Zeb. We should be ready now." Kallus responded as the Lasat moved back to the ex IBS agent's side, hefting the large clone war era rotary cannon into his hands.

"Should be? I don't like the sound of that." Zeb responded, his green eyes sweeping what was soon to be a battlefield.

Privately, Kallus agreed. The hanger bay there were in was not exactly the most defensible position, but it was better than the endless corridors that the battle station seemed to be made up of.

Analysing the area again, Kallus did a quick double check to ensure he had not missed anything, or anyway the imperials could enter.

As far as both he and Zeb could tell, there were three possible routes.

One was the direction that Ahsoka and her team had gone, and was on the same level as they were. Hopefully Ahsoka and her team would delay any imperials coming down that route, so Kallus had chosen to largely ignore it, placing one pile of crates to act as cover for a pair of Wookies who had volunteered to defend it.

The second door was the route they had used to enter the hanger bay in the first place, and the one they had sealed behind them. Kallus was no fool however. He knew that the imperials would find a way through it eventually, either with force or via decryption. Thus, Kallus had opted to defend that entrance.

Luckily for him, there happened to be a perfectly collapsible catwalk above the door, one that was now rigged with explosives. If he dropped that on the troopers, it would hopefully slow them down.

The third possible route for the imperials had been spotted by Zeb. The catwalk ended up connecting to a level above them, leading to what appeared to be a control room. No doubt that imperial troopers would find a way in through that route, giving them the high ground advantage.

Zeb had offered to watch that possibility, the rotary cannon being a good way of pinning down any troopers that tried to flank them in such a way.

There was a fourth entrance, Kallus had noted. The route that Ahsoka and her team had taken to get here in the first place. However, Kallus highly doubted that any imperial trooper would willingly go the route Ahsoka and her team had to get them that way, and thus had disregarded it completely.

Still, he would keep an eye out, just in case.

Behind him, Kallus heard the heavy footsteps of Custos approaching. The Wookiee growled something to both Zeb and Kallus.

"What she say? I don't speak Wookiee!" Zeb enquired, his tone agitated.

Fortunately, Kallus did, at least a little bit. Enough to understand what Custos had said.

"It's called Shyriiwook, and she said that her pack is ready and in position." Kallus answered, throwing a gracious nod at Custos in the process. The Wookiee nodded back, before moving to take her position, blaster in her pawed hands.

Kallus turned away from Zeb for a moment, reaching down to pick up the Lasat's bow rifle. Since Zeb had the rotary cannon, he had no use for the rifle, and had thus given it to Kallus to use, considering his familiarity with such a weapon.

It was not like his own rifle, which as far as he now knew was most likely in the possession of Thrawn. He missed the weapon in a way.

But now was not the time for nostalgia. He was no longer Agent Kallus of the ISB.

He was Alexsandr Kallus, Fulcrum Agent, Captain of the Rebellion.

A sound echoed through the room, followed by a resounding explosion.

As expected, the imperial troopers had resorted to force to get the door open.

Darting to cover, Kallus barely had time to get out of the way before blaster fire erupted from the doorway below the catwalk.

The smoke from the explosion clearly, and Kallus could make out the black armour of imperial deathtroopers beginning to flood the room.

Taking a deep breath, Kallus sprung round the corner and opened fire.

"FOR THE REBELLION!"

***********************************************************************************************************

Ezra took point for the rest of the team as they followed the winding corridors towards what he hoped was their goal. If all went well, they would soon arrive at the kyber crystal that powered the central weapon, and then Sabine could get to work.

He would be lying however if he said he was comfortable with what was happening. Ahsoka and Maul heading off the face the Emperor was not unexpected, and if anyone could beat him it was them.

Kenobi wasn't a surprise either, considering the history there.

But Kanan? Why had Kanan gone? He was going to get himself killed!

It wasn't that Ezra didn't trust Kanan to look after himself, he did. But at the same time, he was his master, so he couldn't help be concerned.

Ezra wondered if Ahsoka had gone through something similar with her own master in the past, before his turn to the darkside.

"Hey, you ok kid? You seem to be spacing out a little."

Ezra shifted his gaze upwards, meeting the concerned eyes of Quinlan Vos. Ezra hadn't known Vos long, but he liked his attitude. He seemed like he was one of the more relaxed Jedi of the group. Kenobi was always calm, radiating confidence. Yoda had been the voice of wisdom, despite his age.

But Vos was unique. He was clearly powerful, and knew right from wrong.

But Ezra also got a sense of loss from him, as if he had seen things that no one else should. Whatever it was weighed heavily on his shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine Master Vos." The young Jedi replied, shaking off any internal conflict he had.

Surprising Ezra, Vos huffed under his breath.

"Sure kid, if you say so."

Then the Kiffar man smiled brightly, returning to his usual demeanour.

Shrugging off Vos' original response, Ezra continued to lead the remainder of the team forward, encountering a three-way junction, and turning the corner in the endless maze of corridors…

Before coming face to face with four tall red armoured figures, armed with pikes.

Imperial Royal Guard.

"Karabast!" Ezra yelled out, evading backwards in time to avoid a swipe from one of the pikes. The four guards began to advance on the Jedi slowly, their weapons glowing menacingly.

Another of the guards made a swing for Ezra, only to be interrupted by a bright green blade clashing with the energy on the pike, and forcing the guard backwards in formation with the others.

Vos appeared by Ezra's side, lightsaber ignited, entering into his preferred stance. By this point Ezra too had ignited his saber, moving to stand beside Vos, prepared for the duel that was evidently about to happen.

Ezra heard the shuffling of feet behind him as the rest of the team rounded the corner, blasters at the ready.

But Vos clearly had other ideas.

"Captain Rex, take the others down the hallway. Our goal is down there, I sense it. Ezra and I will stay and deal with these guards."

How Vos knew where to go was unknown to Ezra, but he wasn't about to argue with the Jedi Master.

And clearly, neither was Rex.

"Copy that General. Let's go team!"

The clone took point, breaking off and heading down a different hallway, rather than the one that Ezra had encountered the guards in.

As the team took off, Ezra glanced at Vos.

"Ready for this padawan?"

Despite the situation, Vos had a confident look on his face, and that inspired Ezra.

After all, it was only a two versus four duel.

What could go wrong?

*******************************************************************************************************************

Stormtroopers were useless.

That was the most commonly stated fact about them. The Imperial Royal Guard often made comments behind the backs of the backbone of the imperial army. They couldn't protect anything.

But Royal Guards, they were powerful. They were skilled.

They were the best of the best, the ones who did not possess the force, but were still charged with protection of their Emperor.

So how the captain of the Royal Guard found himself ordering a squad of Stormtroopers was beyond him. They wouldn't last five seconds against any really threat.

In fact, they would probably lose to a Loth Cat!

Still, the captain did not question his Emperor's orders, especially considering it pertained to his safety.

So here the captain found himself, waiting at the end of a long corridor, protecting the entrance to the so called 'Throne Room' on the Death Star.

Just him, and a squad of troopers.

Sighing to himself, the captain prepared.

If intel from Tarkin was right, the turbolift at the end of the corridor was coming up, containing some dangerous rebels.

So the captain had prepared, ordering the troopers in front of him, their blasters aiming down the hallway.

He had to stop any rebel getting through to the Emperor.

"All troopers, hold the line. Nothing gets through!" The captain called out to the assembled troopers, receiving a series of 'yes sir's in response.

Equipping his own blaster rather than his pike, the Royal Guard waited.

Seconds passed by slowly. The tension in the air was easy to sense.

Then, the familiar sound of the turbolift reaching the top of the shaft echoed down the hallway.

The captain found himself tensing. The door did not open immediately as it would have normally.

What was going on?

So he waited, and waited, his breath coming out slowly. Fear began to set in. It was if someone was trying to scare them.

Then, the door opened.

Beneath his crimson helmet, the Royal Guard's eyes widened in confusion.

A single figure stepped through the threshold of the doorway between the lift and the hallway. There was further movement behind the figure in the lift itself, but right now the captain's focus was on the one that had emerged.

She was a tall, imposing Togrutan woman, with bright orange skin, and white markings on her face that stood out, that made her look fierce.

No one opened fire. They wouldn't until ordered.

Then, the Togruta's hands moved faster than the guard expected.

A pair of white blades emerged from nowhere, and suddenly the Togruta woman was barrelling down upon the troopers, a fierce and deadly look on her face.

The captain was frozen at the approaching sight, his body locking up in terror at the sight before him. The troopers didn't wait for the order either, opening fire. A hail of blaster bolts flew down the hallway towards the charging Togruta, yet none of the shots seemed to hit her. She dodged and weaved around the shots, her white blades moving in pristine arcs, deflecting shots back at the troopers. One by one the Stormtroopers cried out in pain as the deflected shots struck their armour, piercing through and killing the troopers.

Before the Togruta had even reached the squad, three of the troopers were already dead.

And then, the captain watched a nightmare unfold. The Togruta reached the trooper squad, forcing them into close combat, effectively rendering the blasters they carried useless.

With an almost graceful gait, the Togruta swung her blades, eviscerating the troopers, severing limbs, and impaling the poor soldiers. Some tried to make a break for it, attempting to skirt round her deadly arcs, only to be suspended through some means, no doubt the force, and brought towards her to face death.

And all the while, the captain remained frozen. Not because he had never seen such a scene before. The bloodshed was not what unsettled him.

Instead, it was the Togruta's eyes. One minute they were a bright blue, the next, a dark gold. They oscillated between the two colours as she slaughtered more troopers.

The captain witnesses a pair of troopers try to engage in hand to hand, only to be simultaneously decapitated in one swing of the white blades.

Another trooper, clearly terrified, attempted to play dead and avoid the massacre. But it was a fruitless effort, as the Togruta merely brought her boot down on his neck, a resounding snap making the Royal Guard flinch in horror.

And then, it was just him. A single Royal Guard against a monster.

The captain barely managed to bring his pike up in time, energy from one end of it clashing with the Togruta's lightsabers.

Beneath his helmet, he locked eyes with the Togruta's, which were currently golden.

The guard pushed against the Togruta's blade for a few moments, before a sharp pain erupted in his stomach.

Crying out in agony, the guard glanced down to see one of the white blades protruding through his body.

Then, with a speed unmatched, the guard witnessed the Togruta begin to rapidly pull the blade upwards.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka pulled her shoto upwards, eviscerating the Royal Guard she had impaled, and allowing his form to collapse.

Stepping back, Ahsoka allowed herself to breath. Reaching into the force, she calmed herself, finding her balance, before turning around.

Bodies of Stormtroopers littered the hallway, various cuts and burns scouring their bodies. Burnt flesh filled her senses, giving off the stench of death.

From down the hallway, Obi-Wan emerged from the lift, a horrified look on his face.

Ahsoka knew that perhaps she had gone a bit too far. But right now all that mattered was getting to the Emperor. And if she had to tap into her innate darkside to do so, then she would.

Obi-Wan's face took on a solemn look as he moved through the various body parts that were strewn around the hallway.

Behind him, Maul and Kanan began to emerge from the lift. The Zabrak assessed the situation immediately, before giving out an impressed huff, and moving on.

Kanan meanwhile, despite not being able to see, was equally as horrified as Obi-Wan was.

"This isn't like you Ahsoka. You need to be careful." Kanan voiced what both he and Kenobi had been thinking. And Ahsoka knew it was true. If she went too deep, it would be easier for Sidious to turn her.

Taking another breath, Ahsoka focused once again on centring herself in the force, before moving to the other end of the hallway, opposite the lift.

The troopers and their royal guard ally had clearly been defending whatever was in this room, and through the force, Ahsoka could feel a menacing dark presence.

The Emperor.

He was waiting for her.

Steeling herself, Ahsoka slowly approached the door that would lead to the Sith Lord. The hallway behind her, full of the dead, was almost a sign of what might be to come.

As she slowly moved, Ahsoka began to speak aloud.

"Yoda. Ryder. Wolffe. Saw. This is for you."

Behind her, her three comrades made sounds of agreement, moving in tandem with her.

As Ahsoka approached the door, she noticed something different in comparison to the others she had encountered on the station.

This one was not locked.

Clearly she had been expected.

Reaching her hand out, Ahsoka pressed the controls by the side of the door to open it.

Glancing forward, Ahsoka watched the door open.

She expected to be immediately greeted with the sight of a large open room, no doubt extravagant in comparison to the rest of the station. That was the sort of place the Emperor would call home.

Instead, she saw a small room, one that resembled a lobby.

And in the centre of the room stood a very familiar grey armoured figure.

"Ahsoka Tano, how 'good' to see you again!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, here we go. Everyone is in trouble, and confrontations are about to be had. What will happen next?
> 
> So yeah, the next few chapters are still being written, and they are kicking my arse. Seriously I'm struggling a bit here, so I might need a bit of time to get them to a level I like. I know what is going to happen, it's just writing it that is proving difficult.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, even if some of it is clunky in terms of description.
> 
> Also, anyone want to guess what the scene from the Royal Guard's POV is a parallel of? :)
> 
> Not much else to say really. Hope you are looking forward to the climax of this story.
> 
> Next time round, Ahsoka and her team enter the Throne Room.


	39. The Lord of the Sith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka confronts Sidious,  
> And Sidious does what he does best!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go people. The moment you've all been waiting for. I only hope you like it.

Ahsoka's hand were on her lightsaber hilts immediately, bright beams of white blazing into existence. Behind her, the others did similar, a pair of blue blades, and a double ended red one coming alongside her.

Between the four of them, this would be easy.

But the Eighth Brother made no move. He did not ignite his saber in response. He did not reach out into the force to attack them. He made no move against them.

Instead, he simply stood there, watching.

It was then that Ahsoka realized something. He wasn't wearing his helmet.

The Eighth Brother always seemed to be sporting that peculiarly designed helmet, covering his face and identity from the world. But now, she could see him.

He looked young, far younger than she had been anticipating. Not younger than her of course, if the rumours about the Inquisitor's origins were to be believed. But still, young.

His eyes were not wrinkled like so many others, but still shone the symbolic bright gold of the darkside. They were not as bright as Maul's, but still stood out on his otherwise normal face.

It was strange really, seeing her enemy in such a way.

Without his helmet, he didn't look like a monster.

He just looked normal.

But he was still a threat, and thus Ahsoka made no move to extinguish her blades.

"What do you want?" She inquired. Clearly the Inquisitor was not attacking her for a reason.

It was then that the Terrelian smiled. It was not maniacal like Sidious, or dark like Maul. Instead, there was something else in it. Something far worse.

Manipulation.

"The Emperor sent me to bring you and your companions to him. But first I wish to talk."

Behind her, Kanan huffed.

"Yeah, sure you do!"

Without his helmet on, Ahsoka could quite clearly see the Eighth Brother roll his eyes in disdain before speaking again.

"Our time is short Tano. You and I share a common goal. The Emperor is no friend of mine. Together, we can defeat him."

Ahsoka listened to the Terrelian's suggestion. She couldn't say she was surprised. The manipulative look in his eyes suggested that he intended to cause some sort of mayhem. She knew from their encounter on Tatooine that he harboured no love for the empire, hence why it had been a surprise to learn he had returned to the fold after acquiring the Sith holocron.

"You work for the Emperor. Why should I believe you want to kill him?" Ahsoka asked, confusion in her voice.

The Eighth Brother smiled again. "He and his empire betrayed me. Is it wrong to want a little bit of revenge? Or is the mighty Ahsoka Tano beyond such things, huh?"

His tone was condescending, full of malice, evidently an attempt to taunt her.

"I don't kill for revenge." Ahsoka spat back, her tone equally full of malice. This was going nowhere.

Then the Inquisitor laughed aloud. "Tell that to Lord Vader and the countless troopers you just massacred outside this room. You are no better than the Sith! But we have a common goal. Now come, Lord Sidious awaits us."

And with that, the Inquisitor bent down, picking his helmet off of the ground where he had left it, and replaced it, before turning to take the lead through another door.

His words were confusing, as if he was trying to not only convince Ahsoka, but convince himself.

But if they really did share the same goal…

Ignoring her instincts, Ahsoka extinguished her lightsabers and began to follow after the Terrelian. Behind her, and with some hesitance, the others followed, trusting her judgement.

Stepping through the threshold of the next doorway, Ahsoka sense suddenly became completely overwhelmed. The force screamed darkness out to her, as if it was sucking her into it, like a black hole. Everything in her body warned of danger.

Behind her, she heard Kanan groan lightly in pain from the sudden shift in atmosphere.

Obi-Wan made no sound, but from the sudden hitch in his breath, he too had felt it.

Only Maul seemed at ease, as if he was accustomed to this feeling. Ahsoka had a feeling she knew why.

Following the Inquisitor deeper into the room, Ahsoka soon found herself walking across a bridge to some steps. One either side of the bridge were pits that looked like they ran down into the inner workings of the battle station. Luckily, there were hand rails present to stop any unfortunate accidents.

Shifting her focus back to the path ahead, Ahsoka began to ascend the staircase. With each step, the darkside of the force began to grow more and more overwhelming, threatening to consume her entirely. This was worse than Malachor!

Then, as she ascended the final step, Ahsoka saw why.

"Welcome my friend. We have been expecting you."

Ahsoka allowed herself to openly sneer, bearing her fangs in rage at the figure, seated on some sort of throne.

Sidious.

Beside him, four Royal guard stood in protection.

As if that wasn't enough, the Eighth Brother began to move towards him, bowing in submission before speaking.

"My Emperor. Ahsoka Tano to see you."

Ahsoka didn't miss the sarcasm in the Terrelian's voice. He clearly had some sort of plan, and Ahsoka could only wait in trepidation to find out what it was.

The Emperor's volcanic eyes locked on the Eighth Brother's form, before turning his gaze to Ahsoka.

"I warned you. Many of your friends have fallen to get you here. And many more will follow. Tell me apprentice, was it worth it?"

The Emperor's voice was croaky, and full of hatred and malice. He was clearly enjoying taunting her.

"I'm not your apprentice Sidious. And yes, it was worth it, just to take you down."

Sidious began to cackle, before his gaze began to move to another of Ahsoka's team.

"Why Darth Maul, you ally yourself with Jedi now? How far you have fallen. You had so much potential, potential now wasted!"

Maul growled allowed, taking a step towards his former master in rage. He would have gone to attack, were in not for Ahsoka reaching out into the bond they shared, pulling him back from the apex of his anger.

Sidious then moved his gaze to Obi-Wan.

"Master Kenobi, come to exact revenge for young Skywalker? If Master Yoda could not defeat me, what chance do you have?"

Despite the maliciousness of his tone, Obi-Wan remained stoic. Even in the face of pure evil, Ahsoka knew she could rely on Obi-Wan.

"I am not here for revenge Palpatine. And if you should strike me down this day, you shall only make me more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Yoda has already surpassed you." Obi-Wan replied, his tone neutral, showing no weakness.

Sidious rolled his eyes and huffed, before turning his attention to Kanan.

"And young Caleb Dume, you have come far. Blind, yet still a serious threat to my best warriors. You are credible."

"Is he complimenting me?" Kanan spoke aloud bewildered.

Sidious then continued. "I shall enjoy gifting your head to your Twi-lek lover. Yours, and your padawan's!"

"Ah, there it is." Kanan sarcastically spoke.

Sidious was trying to break them that much Ahsoka could tell. He was trying to get a rise from them, to goad them into attacking him early in hopes of thinning their numbers. Sidious was the master of manipulation after all. He had fooled everyone before, and kept the majority of them fooled to this day.

'But no more.' Ahsoka thought. Today, she would end his menace.

"I must say I am impressed my new apprentice. Discovering the location of this battle station and planning an attack on it couldn't have been easy. Tell me, did Senators Mothma and Organa agree to this foolish quest of yours, or did they treat you as the Jedi council once did?"

Ahsoka chose not the reply. She would let him think that he had her, that he was successfully seducing her to the darkside. Perhaps, if he was sure of his victory, he would leave himself open to defeat.

"They did oppose it didn't they. I can feel your anger at their names. They do not trust you, like the Jedi did not. Together, we can exact revenge. All you need do is pledge yourself to me!" Sidious continued from his throne, leaning forward slightly to pear closer at the Togruta.

This time Ahsoka spoke.

"I'll never join you. I serve the light."

Sidious cackled again, before moving a hand inside of his cloak and extracting a small pyramid object, one that radiated with dark energy.

"Is that so? Then why, pray tell, did you open and use the secrets of a Sith holocron?"

Ahsoka had no response. She knew that using the holocron was dangerous. It had been constructed by a Sith of old. It was full of dark ancient secrets that could corrupt even the best of people.

But if she didn't use it, then their trip to Malachor would have been pointless. Sure, the death of Vader had been a victory. But with the holocron, Ahsoka could have found a way to defeat the Sith as a whole. She had even said that the best way to defeat your enemy was to understand them.

So she had opened in, away from prying eyes. She didn't want to risk exposing Kanan and Ezra to such power, and her position as a former Jedi who walked both the light and the dark meant she had a better chance of using it and not being corrupted then they did.

"Perhaps it is power you crave apprentice. The secrets of the Sith, especially the ones in this holocron could help secure your future in this galaxy. You would become even more powerful that Lord Plagueis!" Sidious continued to croak, his voice gaining a dark edge. His eyes began to glow brighter than before, and Ahsoka could feel his presence in the force, trying to worm its way into hers.

Mentally snapping her shields tighter around her mind, Ahsoka felt a rush of satisfaction from the Emperor, before the Sith Lord reclined in his throne.

"Yes, good. You are powerful. Resisting my strength is no easy feat. The knowledge you gained from the holocron had taught you well. Soon, you will call me master!"

"Never!" Ahsoka spat with hatred, taking a step towards the Sith Lord.

Sidious began to laugh again. "Use your anger. I can feel it. It makes you powerful. Only with you anger can you hope to destroy me, as you did your former master. Tell me, did you enjoy it, ripping your blade through his heart?"

Beside her, Ahsoka felt Obi-Wan tense at the mention of Vader's demise at her hands. Ahsoka understood why he was feeling the way he did. After all, he had once been Anakin Skywalker, their brother.

"I did what had to be done. And I would do it again." Ahsoka replied, her tone resolute, fully accepting of past events.

"You have great power, great conviction within you Ahsoka Tano. The Jedi and the rebellion have squandered you. Stand by me, and I will see that you achieve your full potential. Take your master's place by my side!" Sidious reiterated again, standing from his throne, hands by his sides.

Ahsoka couldn't help by sigh audibly. The Sith Master sure was persistent. What part of no didn't he understand?

"I will never join you Sidious. I may not be a Jedi, but I will never be a Sith!" Ahsoka spat once again, watching for the Emperor's reaction.

Beneath the hood of his cloak, Sidious grimaced briefly, before a smirk came to his face.

"Then allow me to convince you further apprentice. Royal Guard, eliminate Kenobi and the Zabrak. Inquisitor, destroy Caleb Dume!"

Worry flooded Ahsoka as the room exploded into movement. The Royal guards flanking Sidious charged first, the ends of their pikes glowing with energy. Within seconds they were upon Maul and Obi-Wan, releasing a whirlwind of strikes towards them, attempting to overwhelm their defences. Even Maul and Obi-Wan would have trouble with so much going on at once.

The Eighth Brother on the other hand have veered off to one side, his double bladed saber ignited, before careening up into the air via the force, and coming down on Kanan from above.

Ahsoka briefly turned to watch Kanan clash with the Terrelian, their lightsabers crashing against one another again and again as they fought for control.

Maul and Obi-Wan could handle themselves, Ahsoka knew that. They may be at the disadvantage at the start, but if they worked together, they would come out on top.

So she moved to assist Kanan with the Eighth Brother.

That was, until she felt something pull her to the floor.

Vaulting up from where she had landed, Ahsoka pivoted to find Sidious standing before her.

"Come now apprentice. Let us see what you have learned."

Ahsoka sneered, before grabbing the hilts of her lightsabers and igniting them. The white beams burst to life, and Ahsoka crouched into a comfortable position. She had no idea how Sidious fought. This would be a tough one.

Beneath his hood, Sidious smirked, before making a sharp gesture with both hands.

As if by some sort of dark magic, a pair of lightsabers emerged from the Sith Lord's robes, appearing in his hands. Ahsoka watched as Sidious gripped the hilts, pushing the ignition button on their sides.

Twin red blades flashed into existence, their colour giving off a hostile glow, bathing the Sith Lord in deep red.

Sidious cackled again, before beginning to twist the blades around in his hands.

'Jar'Kai versus Jar'Kai? This will be interesting.' Ahsoka briefly thought, before Sidious began to barrel down upon her, a barrage of deadly strikes coming her way.

Ahsoka responded in force, bringing both her blades up to clash with Sidious', forcing the Sith Lord to break off and attempt another strike.

The two began to trade blows, fast and with power.

Sidious was strong, very strong, especially for an old man such as himself. In all she had heard about the man, she assumed his forte resided mainly in the force.

But his skills with a lightsaber, especially two, were clearly not to be underestimated. He moved fast, faster than she had ever seen in her life. Even Ahsoka, who had trained in the arts of fast paced combat such as this, was unprepared for such ferocity.

Evading backwards, Ahsoka narrowly avoided a strike that was aimed at her leg. Sidious was clearly trying to immobilize her, not outright kill her.

Not yet at least.

Sidious began to cackle again, before pushing both of his blades forward, meeting Ahsoka's.

The two pushed their blades against one another, entering into a vicious saber lock. Both began to grunt in frustration as neither buckled under the others strength. Ahsoka had more raw physical power than Sidious did, whereas the Sith Lord's power in the force was unmatched.

"You still have much to learn apprentice. Perhaps Skywalker was a failure in more than one way!"

Ahsoka bared her fangs, snarling at the Sith Lord as she redoubled her efforts to push him back.

"Anakin taught me well. He taught me how to defeat people exactly like you!"

From across the room, Ahsoka heard a pained gasp. Glancing briefly, Ahsoka saw one of the Royal Guard do down thanks to Obi-Wan, with another following shortly afterwards by Maul's blade.

She just had to hold out long enough for the others to join in her duel with Sidious.

"Taught you well? He taught you how to destroy scraps of metal, not fight Sith Lords! The only reason you defeated him was because of your power with the darkside. Your innate darkness granted you that victory. The only way you can defeat me is by doing to same. Give yourself over to the darkside of the force." Sidious spat despite the strain of the saber lock.

Both combatants had their sabers locked in front of themselves, forming a cross shape. White and red pushed against one another. The sounds of the blades straining against one another filled Ahsoka's montrals.

She had to break this saber lock and fast. If she pulled out first, no doubt Sidious would get a strike on her. That meant that she had to get him to pull back first.

So she decided to play dirty.

Pushing with her arms again, Ahsoka forced the Sith Lord into shifting his attention to the saber lock. Sidious did so, pushing back equally with his arms, forcing the blades to continue to clash in an upwards cross.

Then Ahsoka moved, and moved quickly. Bringing her knee upwards and forwards, Ahsoka launched an attack on the Emperor's physical form. Her knee made contact with the Sith's groin, the force of the impact sending Sidious stumbling backwards, an infuriated and pained look on his face.

Ahsoka nearly laughed at the situation, before launching another assault with her blades.

Swinging her primary blade for his head, and her shoto for his legs, Ahsoka braced herself for the Emperor's response.

The Sith Lord did respond, intercepting her blades with his and redirecting the energy of her swings to the side, away from him.

Stumbling slightly, Ahsoka regained her senses in time to block a flurry of strikes from the Emperor.

The two continued to trade blows for a few moments, deflecting and redirecting each other's energy with their own precise swings.

It was a well-known fact that a prolonged lightsaber duel was not a good thing for either combatant. Eventually, the strain of the movements would take hold of an individual, and they would begin to slow. Their movements would begin to grow sloppy and unprecise, and they would leave more openings for their opponents to strike.

But try as she may, it seemed as though Sidious was no slowing down. Despite his perceived age, he kept on going and going, fighting faster than light and air. The force permeated stronger with the darkside, threatening to consume the light that dwelled within Ahsoka.

The Sith master was playing it slowly, she figured. He was trying to wear her down, to force her to submit to him. The darkside that radiated off of Sidious was an attempt to corrupt her, to make her fight with her anger. And in doing so, she would be easier to turn.

So Ahsoka relented. She didn't allow the darkside to control her. Instead, she focused on her training from so long ago. She centred herself in the light, attacking with precision and not rage, conviction, not anger.

Light, not dark.

White and red clashed against one another. The two figures that controlled the blades span and evaded and dodged and struck, each trying to find an opening, but neither finding one.

Reaching into the force, Ahsoka harnessed her power, and forced it forward, delivering a force push to Sidious. The Sith master was knocked back slightly, but not off his feet. Instead, he seemingly slid backwards on his heels before regaining his balance, a dark look on his face.

"You wish to practise your usage of the force with me apprentice? So be it!"

Extinguishing one of his blades, Sidious sheathed the weapon before outstretching his hand, making another sharp gesture with it in the process.

Ahsoka barely had any time to react, and was only able to due to the warning from the force.

Lightning erupted from Sidious outstretched fingers, cascading towards her in sharp arcs.

Barely bringing her white blades up in time to protect her body, Ahsoka managed to catch the stream of force lighting with her own sabers. The energy from the attack collided against her sabers, adding considerable strain to the block.

Sidious began to cackle as he increased the volume of the lightning. His second saber was now also away, and lightning erupted from both hands. The horrendous sounds of the lightning crashing against the sabers flooded the room, echoing of the walls and scarring the floor with the deflected bolts.

Sidious pushed further, and the energy crashing against Ahsoka's sabers began to break through, bolts of electricity shocking parts of Ahsoka's armour. Gritting her teeth, Ahsoka held on to her sabers, pushing back with as much strength as she could, trying in vain to redirect the lightning back at Sidious.

But try as she may, she did not possess the refined ability to do so. Every time she began to get control of the stream of lightning, Sidious would alter it, increasing its amount or forcing it around her defences to shock her body.

The strain began to eat away at her. Pain etched through her entire body. The shocks would not scar, but were having a nasty effect on her sensory abilities. If she didn't find a way to end this fight soon, she was done for.

Then she noticed something that she could never be happier to see in her life.

Charging towards Sidious' unprotected back was Maul, his double bladed saber poised to strike.

If she could hold on just a few more seconds…

So she did, absorbing the lightning with her sabers, ignoring any pain that coursed through her body.

Maul was only a few steps away now, she just had to hold on.

And then Maul was behind Sidious, saber coming down on his neck…

And then Sidious span around and spoke.

"How predictable!"

Breaking off the stream of lightning, Sidious unleashed a new stream at Maul, who had no time to block it.

Fear shot through the Zabrak as the lightning smashed into him, sending him careening backwards onto the floor, screaming aloud in agony.

Ahsoka found herself trying to move forward, but her legs gave out under her. The exertion of the fight with Sidious had taken its toll on her.

Then Ahsoka heard another lightsaber swing towards Sidious, as well as the sound of the clash of two blades.

Looking up, Ahsoka spotted Obi-Wan, now locked into clash with Sidious.

Ahsoka nearly pointed out the irony of Obi-Wan protecting Maul from Sidious, but chose not to.

Blue and red blades danced for a few minutes, before Sidious yelled aloud and unleashed a force push against the Jedi Master, knocking him to the floor next to Maul, who was out cold from the pain.

Growling beneath her breath, Ahsoka regained her strength and charged Sidious, her white blades flowing in deadly arcs against Sidious, who turned back to her as she approached.

"Very persistent apprentice."

Ahsoka screamed aloud as she clashed with the Sith Lord, each of the blows from her lightsabers being punctuated with her retort.

"I. AM. NOT. YOUR. APPRENTICE!"

Sidious merely smirked at Ahsoka's temporary release of anger, before replying.

"Yet, my dear."

********************************************************************************************************************************

Kanan was acutely aware of the duels going on around him, despite not being able to see. The force showed him what was happening, how Ahsoka was facing off against the darkness itself.

Kanan knew that he stood no chance against Sidious himself, but he could help.

"Over here Jedi, can you see me?" The ever cocky voice of the Eighth Brother hit Kanan's senses again, as well as the twirling of his blade in response.

The force sang to Kanan, another warning, another direction.

And Kanan listened.

Twisting his arm to the right, as the force had told him, Kanan deflected a series of strikes from the Terrelian with his lightsaber, before pushing the Inquisitor back a few steps.

"Grr, even blind you stupid Jedi are annoying. Why couldn't you go die on Malachor?" The Eighth Brother snarled in frustration, before launching another volley of strikes.

Listening to the force again, Kanan pivoted to deflect the flurry of strikes, redirecting some to allow Kanan to attempt his own offensive.

"I could say the same of you Inquisitor." Kanan replied to the early barb.

The two continued their dance for a few moments, both aware of the duels going on around them. From across the room, Kanan heard a loud clasp of what sounds like energy discharging.

"Your Padawan fights better than you Jarrus!"

Kanan smirked at the attempted insult. Did this Inquisitor not realise that was more of a compliment, both of Kanan's skill as a teacher, and Ezra's ability as a student.

"Yeah well a bantha fights better than you." Kanan couldn't help the retort. The Eighth Brother's reaction would surely be one for the highlight reel.

And it was. The force sang another warning to Kanan, directing him to fall back as the familiar sound of a rotating saber hit his senses, growing ever closer by the second.

Kanan could anticipate the slow moving whirlwind of red that was most likely coming towards him. There was no way he could deflect that!

"So impudent! Did your master teach you that before she died! Who was your master anyway? Jocasta Nu?" The Inquisitor spat, mocking in his voice at the mention of the Jedi Librarian.

But Kanan was not going to fall for that. The Terrelian was clearly trying to get him to remember his past, to remember the death of his master, in hopes that it would provide an opening of sorts.

Instead of reply verbally, Kanan evaded backwards again from the spinning blade the Inquisitor held.

Reaching into the force, Kanan extinguished his own blade, crouching to his knees.

Picturing the Inquisitor in his head, Kanan began to manipulate the force, controlling the flow of the energy in the air. As he did, the Inquisitor neared, his blade ready to strike.

Moments later, the Eighth Brother was above Kanan, blade coming down in a vicious arc, aimed directly at Kanan's neck.

It was then that Kanan struck. He had practised long and hard, and worked with Ahsoka to perfect the manoeuvre.

As the blade come down, Kanan reached out with both hands, grasping hold of the hilt of the weapon.

"WHAT!?"

Kanan didn't wait for the Inquisitor to fully understand what had happened. Instead, he pulled with all his might, both physical strength and with the force, and removed the saber from the Inquisitor's grip, extinguishing to blade in the process.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" The Eighth Brother's confused yell echoed across the throne room, a smirk coming to Kanan's face in response.

Reaching out with the force again, Kanan unleashed a force push, sending the Terrelian spiralling backwards until he crashed against the railing in front of the large pit that lead to the interior of the station.

Rising back to his feet, Kanan cast the Inquisitor's weapon aside, before turning around to assist his allies.

Only to be met with a face full of force lightning.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka watched in horror as she deflected a strike from Sidious's blade. Lightning erupted towards Kanan, sending the blind Jedi sprawling onto the floor, contorting in pain. From where he had been, Ahsoka witnessed the Eighth Brother rise to his feet, pulling his lightsaber hilt to him, before heading over to Kanan's prone form, and picking him up.

Anger boiled through Ahsoka. In the space of a few seconds, Sidious had dispatched her three allies, knocking each of them out of the fight.

Now, it was just her and him.

And an Inquisitor who Ahsoka wasn't sure which side he was on.

Pivoting to clash with Sidious' blade again, Ahsoka attempted an offensive down low, one that was quickly countered by the Sith Master.

The two locked blades again, pushing against one another.

Gritting her teeth again, Ahsoka pulled back out of the lock, evading backwards out of reach as Sidious performed a horrifically fast horizontal swing at her.

Confusion flooded Ahsoka briefly, as sparks seemed to emerge from the end of Sidious' saber during the swing.

As she stepped back out of reach, Ahsoka saw a dark grin on Sidious' face.

Glancing down, Ahsoka's eyes widened in horror as the origin of the sparks was revealed to her. A bright orange scorch mark now ran the length of her armour piece, crossing right across her body. The orange began to fade as the burn cooled down, the resulting scorch from Sidious' lightsaber beginning to fade, leaving a nasty gash in the armour.

Ahsoka released a sign of relief she didn't realize she was holding. A few more inches forward and that would have been a fatal blow. She was lucky that Sidious had only hit her armour piece.

As she fully realised what had happened, Sidious began to cackle.

"It would seem your defensive manoeuvres require work my dear. No matter, you will learn much in time."

Steeling herself, Ahsoka angled her blades to deflect another series of strikes from Sidious, before the Sith Master reached deep into the darkside of the force, and unleashed a push against her, knocking her to the floor.

Groaning from her position, her head pulsing with aches, Ahsoka began to get back to her feet.

Glancing around, she saw Sidious had moved away from her, taking position near the fallen forms of Maul and Obi-Wan.

From the side, the Eighth Brother appeared, dragging Kanan's limp form forward, placing him next to her other two compatriots, forming a line with them.

Now on her feet, Ahsoka began to move back towards Sidious position, lightsabers in hand.

"No my dear, you shall learn an important lesson." The Sith Master spoke again. With one hand, he made a claw shape, sharply gesturing with hand at the same time.

In a split second, the forms of Kanan, Maul and Obi-Wan were suspended in mid-air, as if lined up for a firing squad.

"No!" Ahsoka called out, continuing to approach. Behind Sidious, the Eighth Brother stood, lightsaber ignited.

"You fight with much anger Ahsoka Tano, but not enough. You must truly embrace the darkside if you are to be victorious. Your friends will only slow you down." The Sith master croaked, forcing Ahsoka back with another force push.

Again, the Togruta rose to her feet, approaching the Sith Lord.

"This charade is pointless. It is your destiny to join me, and together we will right the wrongs of this galaxy."

Again, Sidious forced her away, and again, Ahsoka rose to her feet.

"Kenobi betrayed you. Dume will betray you. Maul is a Sith! But your master trusted me. I implore you to do the same. Claim your rightful place by my side!"

"NEVER!" Ahsoka snarled, her body tiring from the constant barrages of the force.

Sidious cackled again, before turning his head to the Eighth Brother.

"So be it, then you will watch as your friends die. Perhaps your grief will be enough to convince you, as it was with Skywalker. Inquisitor, kill Caleb Dume!"

Ahsoka felt her heart plummet as the words left the Emperors mouth. She couldn't get to Kanan in time. Sidious kept blocking her.

All she could do was watch helplessly, as the Terrelian angled his blade for Kanan's suspended form, the tip of the lightsaber aiming directly for Kanan's heart.

"KANAN!" Ahsoka called out in horror.

Sidious turned his gaze back to Ahsoka, his golden eyes meeting her distraught blue ones.

Ahsoka watched as the Inquisitor lurched his arm backwards, preparing to lunge.

And then he did.

But not towards Kanan.

In a split second, the Inquisitor span on his heel, and lunged his saber forward.

Directly towards Darth Sidious' unprotected back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like a certain Terrelian Jango Jumper has finally played his card. Only question is will it work out?
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that it was worth the wait. I found it stupidly hard to write a good Sidious for this, as he needs to be manipulating, yet a credible fighter at the same time. I only hope I did him justice so far.
> 
> Also, I know some of you will question where Sidious got a second lightsaber from, considering he lost one in ROTS. The answer has actually already been briefly mentioned in this story however. If you missed it, go back at check out chapter 15 again. :)
> 
> Anyway, as you can imagine, this confrontation is going to last a few chapters. One wasn't enough for it, not that it would have been in the first place.
> 
> As for this chapter, I want to briefly mention Kanan's duel with the Eighth Bro here. The move he pulls is the same one Ahsoka used on the 7th Sis and 6th Bro in both rebels and the Ahsoka novel. I liked the idea of Ahsoka teaching Kanan it.
> 
> Next time round, the Eighth Brother pulls a 'Starscream', and we find out how the rest of team rebel is doing.


	40. The Inquisitor's Gambit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Eighth Brother tries to pull a 'Starscream',  
> And the rest of the team find themselves facing dire odds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super long chapter again. Enjoy.

Time seemed to slow. The room grew silent, as if it was waiting for something itself, as if the room had feelings.

Ahsoka could only watch, her breath shallow and low at the spectacle unfolding before her.

The Eighth Brother pivoted on his heel, lunging his saber towards his master's back.

And Ahsoka could only watch.

She watched as the crimson blade of the Inquisitor neared the Sith Lord's back. All the while, Sidious malicious gaze remained on her, his golden eyes glowing with menace.

Surely he had to know what was happening.

Ahsoka watched, and waited. If this went to plan, then the Emperor would be about to die. Die at the hands of his Inquisitor.

Once again, Ahsoka found herself questioning what the Terrelian was truly up to. None of his actions, none of his behaviour made sense.

The red blade neared, time still appearing slow to Ahsoka.

And then, a look of unsurprised disgust crossed Sidious face.

The Sith Master released the suspended allies of Ahsoka, dropping them to the floor, before rotating his saber behind him, deflecting the Inquisitor's attack without even looking.

"Treason then Inquisitor? So be it!" Sidious snarled, before turning to unleash a stream of lightning at the Eighth Brother, who quickly brought his saber up to absorb the attack.

Ahsoka could only watch, confused, frozen on her spot.

What exactly should she be doing in this situation?

Infighting amongst darkside users was a common occurrence, if legends were to be believed.

But Ahsoka had never been witness to such events before.

Who should she be helping?

Crimson blades danced around the room for a few moments, clashing against one another before Ahsoka regained her senses and made her own move.

The Terrelian had been right earlier it seemed. They did share a common goal.

Charging forwards with her own sabers ignited, Ahsoka delving into the force and unleashed a flurry of strikes in the form of a spin, aimed directly at Sidious.

The Sith Master noticed this, reigniting his second blade and deflecting the blows, before evading backwards out of reach of the now renegade Inquisitor.

"What's the matter Sidious? No feeling so confident now?" The Eighth Brother's voice quipped sarcastically.

In response, the Sith Master cackled aloud, crouching into a ready position.

Ahsoka watched as the Inquisitor responded in his usual acrobatic style, initiated the rotation feature on his saber, before charging at Sidious.

The whirlwind of red that followed was nothing but a blur. Sidious moved overly fast, faster than he had been when he had previously been duelling Ahsoka. It occurred to the Togruta that perhaps the Sith Lord had only been toying with her. Testing her.

Training her.

That thought caused a shiver to go down her spine.

The two darksiders traded more blows, and when it became clear that Sidious was more than a match for the Eighth Brother, Ahsoka moved to intervene, her white blades moving with the intention of supporting the Terrelian.

That was until the Inquisitor evaded back from Sidious, turning to clash with Ahsoka in the process, surprising the Togruta.

"Back off Tano! He's mine!"

Ahsoka had little choice but to trade blows with the Inquisitor, before being forced backwards, out of reach.

Through the force she could feel his anger. It was an out of control sort of rage, mixed with what seemed to be zealousness. As if he knew something they didn't. As if he had outsmarted them all.

"But, I thought…" Ahsoka commented towards the Terrelian. She had honestly thought he was going to help her, not fight both of them.

"You thought wrong Togruta. You and Sidious are one and the same! Two people who think themselves better than everyone in the galaxy. Two people who believe they have the right to dictate everything in this universe. You are as much my enemy as he is. And now, you have fallen into my trap!"

Ahsoka's eyes widened in confusion. What exactly did the Inquisitor mean?

"You seem confident Inquisitor. Please, do tell us of your so called deception." Sidious croaked from the side, moving around the room.

Ahsoka quickly analysed the situation. The three combatants stood away from one another, forming a triangle, with them acting as the points. If any moved, the others would follow, and an all-out brawl would commence.

They were stuck in a standoff position. The only question was who would move first.

"Your empire wronged me on Malachor Sidious, and you abandoned me to die on that rock Tano. From that day forward, I swore to destroy all of you through any means necessary. I knew however that alone I was no match for either of you. So I had to engineer a situation where you would destroy each other for me!"

Ahsoka listened as the Inquisitor recounted his scheme. It was deceptive to say the least and clearly well planned out.

"However, in order to achieve this goal, I needed access to imperial resources. I knew you would not let me come back to the fold out of the 'kindness of your heart', so I gifted you the holocron from Malachor as compensation, and you foolishly accepted the deal. From within, I planned and waited, biding my time until I found the perfect opportunity to get the two of you together in one room, ripe for the slaughter."

His tone was crazy, and somewhat smug, as if he was proud of his plan. But it did leave Ahsoka with questions.

"I don't understand. How is this you're doing?" Ahsoka inquired, gesturing around the room, indicating the struggle that was ongoing.

The Terrelian began to laugh aloud, his modulated laugh behind his helmet sounding demented, as if possessed by some sort of evil spirit.

"For someone who runs the rebel intelligence network, you miss the obvious Tano. How do you think your rebel friends acquired the information regarding this station, as well as the information regarding the schedule of the 'Meeting of the Moffs' huh? Pure luck?"

Ahsoka allowed the Inquisitor's statement to settle in. From what Cassian had told her, the data disc that contained the information regarding the battle station had come from a source who had been anonymous at the time.

Now however, it was all beginning to make sense.

"It was you! You gave the information to Cassian and K2. The information that allowed us the launch this attack!" Ahsoka spoke quietly, shock in her voice.

She knew the Inquisitor was manipulative, but from what he had revealed, it was as if he had been behind everything that had occurred the past few weeks.

In a way, he had been manipulating even the Emperor.

Risking a glance his way, Ahsoka saw a steady look in the Sith Lord's golden eyes. He wasn't surprised or shocked. It was as if he understood.

"If you refer to your rebel friend and his reprogrammed droid, then yes. I revealed the location of this station, as well as the weak spot you seek to exploit. And in doing so, I twisted the events of today, ensuring that both you and Sidious would meet, and that I would have the opportunity to destroy you both today."

The Inquisitor halted a moment, before turning his helmeted face towards Sidious.

"So you see, 'my master'. It was I that allowed the rebel alliance to know the location of this battle station! And it was I that orchestrated everything that has occurred today. And it is I who will destroy you both, before reshaping this empire of yours in my image. So tell me master, what have you to say? Any final words?"

Silence filled the throne room for a moment, as both Ahsoka and Sidious absorbed all the revealed information.

Anxiety began to set into Ahsoka's skin, waiting for a reply from the Emperor. She watched his face, expecting a snarl to erupt, and anger to boil out of control, before the Sith Lord would unleash a hurricane of deadly strikes upon the Terrelian.

Sidious still did not react, and more seconds passed by. The Inquisitor seemed energetic, bouncing around on the heel of his feet.

And then Sidious reacted, but not in the way Ahsoka expected.

Rather than attack, a dark smile crossed Sidious face.

And then the Sith Lord spoke.

"I knew Inquisitor."

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Facing off against four Imperial Royal Guard at once was not as easy as Ezra had been expecting. Hell, they weren't even force sensitive, and thus had a major disadvantage compared to the pair of Jedi they were fighting.

But still, the Royal Guards remained steadfast, working together to fend of the Jedi. Ezra's emerald blade moved upwards, clashing with the crackling energy of one of the guard's force pikes, before being forced back by the swing of another.

Deflecting the attack from the second guard, Ezra was forced into a back pedal, his blade meeting his opponent's pikes in quick precise strikes.

The hallway they were in did not leave much room for moving around, and thus Ezra was forced to keep moving, ensuring that he was not boxed against any of the walls in such a narrow space.

Locking his blade with a pike again, Ezra glanced behind the two Royal Guard advancing on him to spot Vos, also stuck facing off against his own pair of Royal Guard.

Ezra had not known the man long, and had not really had the time to analyse his fighting style with a suicide mission and all, but from what he had glanced so far, it appeared that Vos' style was more measured than his, while at the same time having the sort of brutality behind it that one would expect from a darksider like Maul.

Vos wasn't attacking with anger or hate, that much was clear, but more of an amalgam of the two. His strikes were precise and fluent, but hard-hitting, aiming to cause his opponent to destabilise in combat.

And it was working. Vos shifted his blade down low, blocking an attempted strike from one Royal Guard, before quickly bringing it up to launch a counter offensive against the second guard. Vos' green blade smashed with tamed brutality against the Royal Guard' pike, the force of the blow sending the crimson armoured guard sprawling to the floor.

This had been the third time it had happened to the same Royal Guard, and each time he had only been saved thanks to the intervention of his friend distracting Vos with his own assault.

It was clear that Vos was toying with the guards for some reason. Hopefully he had a plan.

Ezra's momentarily distraction then proved detrimental. One of the Royal Guards attacking him closed the gap, swinging his pike towards the young Jedi, forcing him to block high with his saber. In the process, the Guard flicked out his leg, tripping Ezra over onto his back, completely at the mercy of the Royal Guard.

However, Ezra still held his lightsaber. As the Royal Guard attempted to bring his pike down into Ezra's chest cavity, the young Jedi rolled to the side, swinging his saber in a horizontal motion at the Guards legs.

The emerald blade made contact, slicing through the armour on the guards shins with ease, removing feet from leg. The Royal Guard released a pained cry as he fell forward, unable to stop himself.

As he fell, Ezra brought his saber up in a sweeping motion, slicing again with his saber, this time across the chest of the falling Royal Guard.

The blow ended his life instantly, as his crimson armoured body slumped to the metal floor with a resounding thud.

That just left Ezra with one guard, who seemed to break into a fury at his comrade's demise.

The Royal Guard seemingly went berserk, his pike beginning to swing in random vicious arcs, no control or guidance behind them.

Despite the lack of control, the blows were still dangerous, and Ezra found himself unable to launch any sort of counter-offensive. If he did, he would be caught out by this maniacal barrage of swings.

Instead, he would have to be patient and wait for an opening. Sooner or later, the guard would tire himself out.

Glancing behind the guard he was fighting, Ezra witnessed Vos knock the same guard as before down to the ground for the fourth time. In the process, he could have sworn her saw an amused smirk flash across Vos' face.

This time round however, the guard on the floor was back to his feet instantly, and charged at Vos with reckless abandon as he duelled the second guard, his back turned to the first.

Ezra nearly called out in concern for the Jedi Master, but Vos acted first, launching himself upwards and over the top of the guard that had been charging him from behind.

Due to his anger, the guard was unable to stop his charge as Vos vaulted over him, and thus continued forwards into his friend, piercing his ally through the chest with his own force pike.

As this happened, Vos darted forward, impaling the second guard from behind, ending his life in the process.

Vos had used his enemies against one another, and scored two kills for one.

That just left Ezra with his guard, who, in his berserker state, lunged his pike towards Ezra's head, hoping to impale his skull.

Ducking, Ezra managed to evade the lethal blow in time to witness the guards pike slam into the wall, wedging itself in the process, and providing Ezra with his opening.

Rising back to a standing position, Ezra swung his lightsaber across the back of the Royal Guard, killing him instantly, before extinguishing the saber and moving to join Vos.

"Good work there kid. Jarrus has taught you well." Vos spoke, enthusiasm in his voice despite the gruelling fight.

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself." Ezra replied, his trademark cheek coming through his tone, to which Vos chuckled at.

"Come on, we've got to catch up to the others. I get the feeling they are walking into a trap." Vos then spoke, before turning to follow the route that Rex and the others had gone.

Wasting no time debating how Vos had known where to go in the first place, Ezra moved to follow, hoping his friends hadn't run into any trouble themselves.

**********************************************************************************************************

Kallus' first shot rang true, hitting one of the imperial deathtroopers square in the helmet, the blast no doubt killing the trooper instantly. Kallus was able to get off two more shots before the imperials figured out where he was and promptly returned fire on his position, forcing him back behind his crate.

Then, Zeb chose to make his appearance known, spinning round the corner of his crate and beginning his cannon fire. Blaster shots rained down upon the imperial troopers, cutting several in half from the shear velocity of the firepower, and forcing others to dart for cover.

As they did so, Kallus rounded the corner of his crate again, laying down suppressive fire upon the troopers searching for cover, and eliminating two more in the process.

In the space of a few seconds, half the squad of imperial deathtroopers had been eliminated, and the rest seemed to be in a state of panic.

Then the reinforcements arrived. A second squad of deathtroopers flooded the room through the same doorway, firing upon both Kallus and Zeb as they entered, forcing the duo to retreat.

"Karabast! Kallus, drop the catwalk!" Zeb yelled out over the sounds of combat. Roars emerged from all directions as Custos and her pack joined in the fray, firing their blasters at the approaching imperial threat.

"Cover your ears then!" Kallus called back, before fingering the key for the detonator he possesses.

The catwalk erupted with a bright flash, before it, and several beams of metal from the roof came crashing down upon the deathtroopers, crushing the majority of the reinforcements. Out of the group that had just arrived, only three remained, now also searching for cover.

But there was none. In the time it had taken the rebels to prepare their own defences, they had also ensured that any imperial forces would not have anywhere to take cover for themselves, forcing them to fight in the open.

The lack of cover proved detrimental, as Zeb and Kallus, backed up by Custos and her pack picked off the remaining troopers one by one.

As their numbers dwindled, one deathtrooper attempted a bold, yet foolish strategy.

He charged directly at Custos, a large blade in his hand.

Kallus knew that engaging a Wookiee in hand to hand was one of the stupidest things you could do, and he had to admit that he cringed at what occurred.

When the deathtrooper was within striking distance, he lunged with the blade, hoping to gut Custos. But the large Wookiee warrior merely batted aside the knife, before discarding her blaster and bringing her large fists down upon the troopers head, knocking him to the floor.

The trooper tried to crawl away, only to be picked up by Custos. The Wookiee held both arms of the deathtrooper, roared, and pulled.

The resulting crack of bones as the trooper's arms were pulled out of their sockets echoed across the hanger bay, supplemented by the screams of agony from the trooper himself, before he mercifully fell silent and was unceremoniously dropped to the floor.

Regaining her full height, Custos roared in success, before her pack joined her.

And then more blaster fire erupted into the room, this time from the level above them.

Darting for cover, Kallus found himself side by side with a Wookiee, who growled under his breath before opening fire.

Kallus, not having time to respond, copied, trying to take out the imperial forces that had flanked them.

He made out the armour of the troopers. Yet more of the special black clad elite of the empire.

However, this time around they possessed the high ground advantage, and neither Kallus nor Zeb could easily take them out.

"We might be in trouble here mate!" Zeb called out under the crossfire, his cannon still blaring as he scored a lucky kill on a trooper who had left himself too exposed.

"We can do this Garazeb!" Kallus called back, more to comfort himself than Zeb. If this kept up they would be destroyed, and the Ghost would have nowhere to land.

But they possessed no way of eliminating their high ground attackers.

The situation became grimmer and grimmer by the moment. A pair of Wookiees took blaster bolts to the chests, knocking them down and out, and no one had time to check if they had survived.

And try as they may, he rebels could not score any more hits themselves. The Deathtroopers had too many advantages.

"Well Kallus, if there is anyone I'd rather go out alongside, it's you." Zeb called out morbidly. Kallus found he agreed. They may not have started out as friends, but in time they had found common ground, and a mutual friendship.

Bracing himself, Kallus span the corner of his crate and opened fire again.

And then a new sound reverberated around the hanger bay, one that Kallus couldn't have been more grateful for in his life.

From behind the team of rebels, the Ghost appeared, flying through the shield door of the hanger bay majestically. The cannons on the front of the freighter opened fired, the blasts striking the squad of troopers that had the high ground, ripping them apart with quick succession, and securing the hanger bay for the rebels.

Moments later, the deathtroopers had been eliminated, and the Ghost hovered around the hanger bay, before settling down not far from Kallus and Zeb, who took off in a sprint towards their ship.

As they reached the back ramp it lowered, and Hera was the first to greet them, surprising Kallus. He'd guess that meant that Chopper was piloting instead.

"Sorry we're late. Had to take a bit of a detour to avoid any imperial fighter patrols. You two look like you had fun without us though." Hera spoke, joy and humour in her voice. However Kallus could also sense it was laced with an undertone of worry, as well as relief at seeing them alive.

"Oh yeah Hera, great fun being shot at by the imperial elite! Ghost all repaired?" Zeb replied, moving over to clasp the Twi-lek on the shoulder in a sign of respect.

"She's good to go. We just have to wait for the others now." Hera replied.

Off to the side, Custos and her pack began to approach, clearly ready to escape the station.

Kallus then asked a question that he knew was taboo.

"How long can we wait for the others?"

He didn't want to leave them behind. But their goal was to destroy the station, no matter the cost. If that meant leaving some behind so the others could live, Kallus would accept that. He was no stranger to loss after all.

Hera's reply was instantaneous.

"Indefinitely. No one gets left behind."

Kallus found himself nodding and smiling in agreement.

*************************************************************************************************************

The number of imperial Stormtroopers was increasing as they proceeded further down the long winding hallway.

Rex could only assume that meant they were getting closer to their target.

He'd say they were fighting with renewed zeal to protect their station, but from experience, there was no such thing as zeal in the imperial infantry.

After all, they weren't clones.

Angling around the corner they had come to, Rex fired his twin blaster pistols, taking down a pair of troopers in their way. Without the added support of the Jedi and Maul, his team had been forced to rely on more traditional methods of combat. Shifting between cover, firing shots when there was a break in enemy fire, only to return to cover when the enemy fired back.

It was different with a Jedi around. Most of the fire was directed their way, and subsequently deflected back. This left a large opening for those without lightsabers to fire at the imperials.

Still, Rex had been doing this a long time. He didn't need a Jedi to help him win. He just would have preferred one by his side.

"Ha ha, look at them run! Cowards!" Cham Syndulla's voice boomed out as the remaining imperial troopers began to back off, rounding another corner and out of site.

"It's not over yet General Syndulla. Push forward!" Rex replied, taking the lead, Gregor by his side.

Speeding round the corner, Rex managed to get another shot off on a retreating trooper, scoring a hit in his back and downing him.

The other troopers then began to fire back, taking position behind makeshift cover they had set up.

"Gotta give them credit, wouldn't have expected bucketheads to set up cover for themselves." Sabine yelled aloud as Rex dove back around the corner he had just rounded, firing a few shots back to cover his retreat.

"We've got to be close now. No other area of the station has been so heavily defended." Tristan added, poking his head round the corner to analyse the situation, before evading a volley of blaster fire.

Rex had to agree. If his assumption was right, the door currently being guarded by the troopers would be the route they needed, hence the unexpected defences.

"Sabine, thermal detonator if you would." Rex ordered, gesturing round the corner.

Beneath her helmet, Sabine began to smile wildly.

"Thought you'd never ask Captain."

With that, Sabine primed an explosive device, and threw down towards the troopers.

Rex heard the panicked yells from the troopers, as well as the calls of "EXPLOSIVE!" before the bomb detonated, shaking the hallway they were in.

Turning back round the corner, Rex saw that two pieces of cover had been obliterated, as well as the troopers behind them. Only one piece remained, as did two troopers.

"Nice work Sabine. You go another?"

Sabine shook her head this time. "Afraid not Rex. Need the others for the kyber crystal!"

"Kriff." Muttered Rex as he darted back to avoid hostile fire. The troopers were entrenched well. It would take a while, and some well-placed shots to break through.

"Hey, did you miss us?"

Rex had to smile as the voice of Ezra Bridger came to his senses, the young Jedi running up to Sabine's side.

Behind the boy, Vos glanced at Rex, seemingly understanding the situation, before beginning to raise is hands.

"I've got the cover captain. You take them out."

Rex nodded in understanding.

"Copy that General."

Vos flinched briefly at the honorific, still clearly uncomfortable with the idea of working with clone troopers.

Nevertheless, he shook the discomfort off quickly and closed his eyes, delving deep into the force.

For a few precious seconds, nothing seemed to happen.

Then, the blaster fire stopped, and the confused voices of the imperial Stormtroopers flooded round the corner.

"Why did you knock the cover over? We're exposed now!"

"It wasn't me! You must have done it!"

"How could it have been me, I was busy shooting at the rebel scum!"

A small smirk was present on Vos' face, a clear sign for Rex to proceed. Stepping round the corner, Rex fired his twin pistols once each, blaster bolts landing on their mark, downing the pair of troopers who had previously been behind cover, cover that was now laying on the floor thanks to Vos.

"Nice work Captain. Now let's proceed onwards. Our goal is just ahead." Vos spoke with enthusiasm, slapping the clone captain's shoulder as he passed by, heading down the corridor that had been previously guarded.

Rex nodded, a smile coming to his face beneath the helmet. He was glad that Vos was finally warming up to him, despite the history between clone and Jedi. Rex couldn't fault him for it. Once upon a time Kanan had been similar, and years before that, even Ahsoka had reacted with anger at Order 66.

Rex had seen first-hand that day the extent of Ahsoka's anger, and what it could do. That was why he was so concerned about her going to face Sidious.

But, as always, he trusted her. She knew her limits. If anyone stood a chance, it was his commander.

"Wait, I sense something. Something dark!" Ezra suddenly froze on the spot as he joined Vos, his head turning to the Jedi Master as he spoke.

"I do too Padawan. I've been following it, and have a bad feeling about this." Vos replied, his tone worried.

"It reminds me of Malachor. I don't know why though." Ezra replied, shrinking in on himself as if in pain.

Vos didn't reply, instead, he continued onwards, approaching the door that had been guarded.

If something was eating away at the Jedi, Rex knew he had to be concerned.

*********************************************************************************************************************

From the report he had received, it would only be a matter of minutes until the Chimaera's engines and hyperdrive were back up to operational standards.

That meant that they could flee. Thrawn could take his ship and run, escape. He could seek help for Pryce, who was stable, but still in a coma.

He could begin his campaign against Operation Cinder, with the help of Yularen, and work towards safeguarding the people of the galaxy from malignant threats, just as he sought to do for his own people.

But even if he did, there was no guarantee that the rebels would be victorious in their campaign. It could all fall apart at the last minute.

So for now, he and the Chimaera had to stay, until the last possible minute at least. Only then, when he was certain of the rebel victory, would he flee.

Besides, he had another reason for remaining. Sure, he could head off to stop Rax and Versio, but he was just one man with one ship. He needed allies, people who thought like he did.

And he also had to ensure that Rax and Versio did not receive any additional support. And as of this moment, there was one person who he knew could absolutely not be allowed the team up with Rax and Versio. If they did, then stopping Operation Cinder would become next to impossible.

The door to Thrawn's office then opened, and Yularen strode in, datapad in hand. He moved over to Thrawn's desk, taking a seat opposite the Chiss, and setting the datapad down in front of Thrawn, who reached across to read over it.

"I believe I have found some possible candidates for our plan Grand Admiral. Their dossiers are on that datapad." Yularen spoke clearly, his tone assured.

Thrawn nodded before focusing his eyes on the datapad. The screen showed a series of folders, each marked with a name of an imperial officer. Contained within each folder was a dossier on the individual, highlighting everything from their successes to their failures, as well as descriptions of personality and psyche.

Thrawn had asked Yularen to assemble him a list of individuals who he believed might support them. Being in command of the ISB had its benefits. Yularen knew practically everything about everyone, and thus Thrawn trusted him to pick out possible allies for them.

"Excellent Colonel Yularen, these will be most helpful for us. Is there anyone on here I should pay special attention too?" Thrawn spoke, his tone respectful, despite the treason they were planning.

Yularen nodded before speaking. "If I may make one recommendation Grand Admiral. Many of the individuals on that datapad are ambitious, but lack the intuition of people such as yourself. They would get the job done, but they would lose much in the process. What you need is someone who can defy expectations. Someone who will bend the rules a little."

Thrawn looked down at the datapad again, reading off the names in his head.

'Firmus Piett. Kendal Ozzel. Lorth Needa.'

There were many names, but it appeared that Yularen had an opinion.

"I assume the person you speak off is on this list?" Thrawn inquired, putting the pad down for a second to meet the eyes of Yularen.

"She is Grand Admiral. I'd strongly suggest you look at Rae Sloane's file. She has had past dealings with the Jedi Kanan Jarrus, but she is adaptable and willing to do the right thing. I think she will support us in this."

"I will look at her file first then Colonel, but now there is something else I need to talk to you about, and what I am about to say must never be repeated to anyone. It is a secret we must take to our graves." Thrawn shifted the discussion, his tone serious and grim.

From Yularen's reaction, he was shocked, but understood. Instead of replying, Yularen made a gesture of acknowledgement with his hands, signalling Thrawn to continue.

"Regardless of whether or not we can muster forces loyal to us to destroy Operation Cinder, we must also insure that any high ranking imperial leaders who would support Rax and Versio not be given the opportunity to do so. As it stands, we are in a position to ensure one such individual does not survive this day to assist them."

Yularen took on a sceptical look, not that that was a surprise to Thrawn. What he was about to suggest was beyond treason.

"Therefore, we must stop them from leaving this battle station alive." Thrawn continued, his expression grim yet determined, with a dark edge on it.

Yularen seemed unsure before replying. "Who are you on about Grand Admiral?"

Thrawn rose from his chair, turning his back on Yularen to admire the sculpture he had behind him. The Chiss waited a few moments, collecting his thoughts and forming what he wanted to say in his mind.

Then, he spoke.

"If this individual is allowed to escape with their lives, they will no doubt assist Rax and Versio, and in doing so rally more support for their cause, rendering anything we can do to stop Operation Cinder futile. Therefore, we must stop them no, before they get the chance."

Yularen chose to interrupt to inquire again.

"Grand Admiral, who are you talking about?"

Thrawn turned back round, his glowing red eyes locking onto Yularen's.

"We must insure that Grand Moff Tarkin does not leave the Death Star alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look's like Thrawn is up to something. Whatever could it be? :)
> 
> And Eighth Bro, really buddy. Of course Sidious knew what you were up to, you moron!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this long chapter. As expected the next few ones are quite long. In fact all the remaining chapters are probably going to be quite long. Makes sense really.
> 
> Next time around, Sidious deals with a traitor, and the second team find their target.


	41. The Darkside of the Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sidious deals with his traitorous Inquisitor,  
> And the second team discover the true secret of the Death Star.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, big chapter again. Enjoy, and hope you like. :)

The Eighth Brother felt every muscle in his body tense at Sidious' words.

He knew. He already knew. He more than likely knew all along.

That terrified the Inquisitor.

It had always been a possibility. Sidious didn't miss much. But the Eighth Brother had been hopeful. Hopeful that Sidious was so obsessed with finding and turning Tano that he wouldn't notice his Inquisitor's actions. His deception.

Had anyone else said those words, the Terrelian wouldn't have flinched.

But with Sidious, it meant something.

Still, he hadn't come this far to give up now, and begging for forgiveness would get him nowhere.

"You claim to have orchestrated the events of this day like some sort of Dejarik master, but in truth all you have done is my bidding all along. You have not brought all of your enemies together. You have brought all of MINE!"

Sidious then sprang into action, darting towards the Eighth Brother, his sabers twirling in deadly arcs, clearly aiming for his head.

The Inquisitor barely brought his own blade up in time to deflect the attack, finding himself suddenly on the defence as he was pushed backwards, his feet having to moving swiftly to keep pace with Sidious' pushback.

From behind Sidious, The Eighth Brother caught a glimpse of Tano, moving slowly and cautious, planning her own attack. Hopefully she would focus on Sidious first.

Not that he minded. The Eighth Brother fully intended on killing both of them, or letting them kill each other.

"Everything has proceeded as I have foreseen Inquisitor. You shall die, Tano will become my apprentice, and the rebellion will be destroyed. I win, every time. The galaxy and its people do my bidding, whether they know it or not." Sidious croaked out manically, bringing one saber into lock with the Inquisitor's, before pivoting his other behind him to block a strike from a pair of white blades.

"You are an arrogant simpleminded old fool. You are not worthy to rule such an empire. It belongs to someone with more potential." The Eighth Brother snarled back, pushing back into the saber lock, forcing Sidious to break off and defend himself from Tano for a few moments.

Yet Sidious was not granting any reprieve for the Eighth Brother. No sooner had he broken off from the fight, he unleashed a torrent of lightning at Tano, forcing her back, and refocusing his attention of the Inquisitor.

"More worthy? Such as yourself Inquisitor? You and your siblings were a means to an end. Lord Vader could not have been in multiple places at once. But despite out training, despite everything we gave you, the Inquisitorius failed us. You failed us. And now, you will die like the rest!"

Sidious then began to advance on the Eighth Brother again, his sabers swinging in brutal yet precise arcs. Each blow, each deflection caused the Terrelian to lose his balance. He was being pushed back at an alarming rate, until suddenly, he found himself out of room.

The heels of his feet reached the top of the stairs that led to Sidious' throne, and the Eighth Brother felt himself lose his balance again.

Spotting another strike coming his way, the Eighth Brother moved his saber to deflect the blow, and succeeded.

Only the have Sidious second saber pivot in another arc, this one downwards.

Suddenly, the Eighth Brother found himself tumbling down the stairs, a horrific burning sensation on his arm.

When he finally stopped tumbling, the Eighth Brother found himself sprawled on his back. Groaning to himself, he reached out for his lightsaber with his right hand, finding it still present, and moved his left one to push himself up.

"ARRGGGG!" The Terrelian yelled in agony, collapsing back to the floor as pain shot through his body. The pain had begun to second he had used his left hand to push himself up.

Whimpering slightly at the agony, the Eighth Brother glanced at his left hand…

Only to find it missing. In its place was a stump, the ends of which burned a bright orange.

His hand! It was gone!

Flickering his eyes around in panic, the Eighth Brother spotted the appendage not far away from him, his clawed digits locked in the position they had been in before they had been removed.

Sidious had cut off his hand!

The pain was agonizing. Worse than anything he had endured before. His vision was distorted from it, and he felt himself wanting to retch because of it.

And then he heard it. Sidious' laugh.

The Sith Master cackled in insidious glee as he moved down the stairs, towards the now cowering Inquisitor.

"So pitiful. And now, you will die!"

The Eighth Brother tried to back up, but his body was worn out from the combat, and the strain from his injury was only slowing him further.

Somehow, he managed to make it back far enough that he found himself propped up against a metal bar, one that acted a part of the railing for the drop that led into the heart of the station.

And still, Sidious approached, his blood red sabers in his hands.

The Eighth Brother could back up no more, and so he sighed, resigning himself to his fate.

He had failed, as he always did.

The Eighth Brother glanced up, his eyes locking onto Sidious' golden ones through his helmet. The Sith Master could not see his expression, but it was one of hatred. If he was going to die, he would do so as he lived.

Defiant to the end.

Sidious lifted both sabers over his head, and then brought them down upon the Inquisitor…

Only the blades didn't strike him as he expected. Instead, the Eighth Brother had to stop his jaw dropping.

Instead, the blood red blades of Sidious clashed with the pure white of Tano's.

She had protected him!

She had saved him!

********************************************************************************************************************

The door before them opened, revealing a large room with many terminals. Each terminal appeared to have a serious amount of data on. Readings of something.

Ezra stepped through the threshold of the doorway first, Vos and the others not far behind.

And then, like clockworks, the imperials sprang their trap.

A squad of Deathtroopers emerged from behind various consoles, opening fire on the rebels and forcing them to cover.

Igniting his saber, Ezra pivoted to deflect the fire from one trooper, only to be forced to duck to evade another blast.

To his side, Vos was also on the defensive, deflecting blasts back himself.

The standoff only lasted a few moments this time. Between two Jedi and the others, even Deathtroopers stood little chance.

When the conflict finally stopped, a loud whistle was heard through the room, coming from Hondo.

"Now that is a kyber crystal! I wonder how much I could get for that!"

Ezra noticed Hondo looking upwards at something, and following his gaze discovered exactly what is was.

Embedded in some sort of circuitry was a large green kyber crystal. It was clearly connected up to the battle station itself, just as the reports had said.

Through the force, Ezra could feel the crystal singing out to him lightly. It radiated power. Power that had been corrupted.

And now, they had to destroy it.

"That must be it. This will just take a second." Sabine spoke, moving over to the crystal, explosives in hand.

"Wait. I sense something." Vos interrupted, holding his hand out to stop Sabine, before beginning to move throughout the room, heading towards another doorway that lay in the back of the chamber.

The rest of the team followed, and soon they found themselves passing by more kyber crystals, each one equally embedded in the station.

"It appears there is more to this station than what we knew about." Cham broke the silence as they followed Vos, gesturing to the crystals.

That much was true. The intel they had suggested one kyber crystal, not many.

And then he sensed it. Something dark. Something corrupted.

He had felt it earlier, only now, it was stronger.

And it felt like it was eating away at his very soul.

"What is that?" Ezra questioned to Vos, who had a look of dread on his face.

The Kiffar man had stopped in front of a door, one that was heavily fortified.

Rather than reply, the Jedi Master reached out with the force, and opened the doors.

Ezra felt a rush of the darkside swell over him, nearly overpowering him. Were it not for Vos, who seemed to be shielding him from the majority of it, Ezra was sure he would have been overwhelmed.

"Is that…?" Rex spoke from beside Ezra this time, moving forward.

Ezra followed Rex's line of sight, his eyes coming to lock onto another kyber crystal. But this one was different. It was much larger for starters.

And rather than the peaceful green the others glowed, this was pulsated a dark red.

And it reeked of the darkside.

"An artificial kyber crystal, one tainted by the darkside. There were legends of the Sith creating these things as weapons. Turns out they were more than stories." Vos spoke clearly, taking the lead into the room.

The team entered cautiously, all staring up at the massive crystal that also appeared to be wired into the station's architecture. Just being near it gave Ezra an unwelcome feeling. It made his head hurt, brief lances of pain shooting through his skull.

Even the non-force users seemed to be struggling in its presence. Whatever it was, Ezra knew it had to be destroyed.

"Where did the Emperor find such a thing?" Gregor spoke, bewilderment in his tone.

"He found it on Malachor." A new voice spoke from a shadow behind a terminal, one that didn't belong to the team.

Ezra ignited his saber in an instant, and the rest of the team also prepared. There was no guarantee this person was friendly.

"Come out with your hands up!" Fenn Rau commanded, his blasters trained on the shadow.

Moments later, the person did.

He was male, and looked tired, as if he had seen too much.

And from the way he moved, he clearly didn't want to be here.

"Identify yourself." Rex ordered, "Or we'll shoot."

The man glanced over the team quickly before speaking.

"I am Professor Galen Erso. I am the head researcher of this project, rather reluctantly of course. Are you with the rebel agent Fulcrum? I sent a message asking for help."

Ezra recognized the name given. Galen Erso had been the one to give them the information from the inside, acting as a rebel spy. Given his position, it was easy to see how he had gotten such information in the first place.

"We're with Fulcrum yes. How can we trust you though?" Rex responded, his pistols still trained on Erso.

Erso's face took on one of despair and loss, as well as remorse.

"I have done many terrible things, and I have lost so much because of it. My wife is dead, and my daughter, I don't know where she is. I thought that, if I told the rebellion, if I helped them, then maybe I would have a clearly conscience. Maybe I would be forgiven, not that I expect it, or even deserve it. I helped a madman create a weapon of unquantifiable power."

Ezra listened to his words, to the way he was speaking. There was genuine remorse in is tone. He truly did regret the things he had done, and he was trying to atone in any way he could.

Ezra didn't need the force to figure that out.

Clearly, Rex didn't either, as the clone lowered his weapons after Erso had finished speaking. The scientist seemed to close in on himself, whispering something to himself.

Ezra took the opportunity to ask a question.

"Professor, you said the Emperor got this crystal from Malachor? What does it do exactly?"

Erso glanced up at the young boy, a look of surprise on his face, before one of acceptance appeared shortly afterwards. He could tell that Ezra was giving him a chance.

"From the report I received, he and his Inquisitor excavated the crystal from an ancient temple of some kind. He asked me to integrate it into the weapon systems of project 'Stardust'. He believes he can use it to sterilize a planet of all organic life, whilst ensuring that the resources on the planet remain intact."

It all suddenly made sense to Ezra. The Emperor had gotten the crystal from the Sith temple back on Malachor. Clearly it had powered the weapon inside of the temple.

And now he wanted to use it on his battle station. A portable version of the weapon.

"Hang on a minute. The information you sent said this weapon was designed to destroy entire planets, not sterilize them." Cham Syndulla spoke next, remembering the brief they had been given at the start of the mission.

Erso nodded his head before continuing.

"That's true. Before the synthetic crystal was found the Emperor wanted to harness the power of the smaller natural crystals in the previous rooms. When the weapon in this station is fired and channelled through those crystals, the resulting attack would devastate planets of considerable size, even destroy them. But with the added synthetic crystal, it is now possible to only sterilize the surface. Both options are very much in play. The information I sent to Fulcrum was from before changes of the design."

So the weapon had two functions, both equally as diabolical. Ezra had to say he wasn't surprised really. The empire was evil. The Emperor even more so.

"Is the weapon ready to use?" Hondo quipped up, fear in his voice at the thought of it being used. If even a pirate such as Hondo was concerned about it, then it had to be bad.

Erso's face took on one of repressed glee.

"In theory yes, the weapon is ready. However, the synthetic crystal is highly unstable. Any attempts to even begin to channel the energy through it would cause it to destabilise. The Emperor was supposed to bring something along to help stabilize the crystal. As of yet he hasn't."

A lightbulb went off in Ezra's mind. If the weapon was fired prematurely, it would cause the crystal to destabilise.

They could use that to destroy the station, rather than Sabine's explosives.

It would be safer in theory, without having to actually detonate the explosives manually. They could prime the weapon to fire, and run, letting the crystal do all the work.

It was not too dissimilar to the original plan, but it would far more likely to succeed in the long run.

And Ezra was willing to bet that any explosion caused by such a large unstable crystal would eradicate any trace of the imperial threat around.

They could do far more than just cut off the head of the empire. They could practically cripple their navy.

"Professor Erso, can you fire the weapon from here?" Ezra asked, taking charge. From behind him, Sabine made a sound of understanding, clearly having the same revelation as Ezra.

"Yes I can. It might take a few minutes to prepare however." Galen Erso replied.

"Then do it. Prime the weapon, and then we run." Ezra responded, determination in his voice.

***********************************************************************************************************************

"Even now you defend those not worthy of your time? Why? He had done nothing for you?" Sidious snarled as he stared directly at her, his molten gold eyes burning into her blue ones.

Across the combined glows of their lightsabers, Ahsoka could make out Sidious' horrifically twisted face. It was wrinkled beyond what was normal. Or perhaps it was some serious scarring, and aftereffect of whatever had happen to him at the end of the clone wars.

White and red continued to push against one another, neither fighter giving up. Sidious, determined to end the traitorous Inquisitor, and Ahsoka, determined to end him.

"He may not be the nicest person in the galaxy Sidious, but he is defeated. He no longer poses a threat to you." Ahsoka replied, steadfastness in her voice.

Sidious cackled again before replying.

"The same could have been said for Lord Vader, but you killed him nonetheless."

"That was different!" Ahsoka snarled in reply, now twisting her shoto blade around in her hand, forcing Sidious to back off and counter an assault with ease.

"Is it? The Inquisitor betrayed me, just as Anakin Skywalker betrayed you. You preach many things Ahsoka Tano, but in your heart you are clearly conflicted on a deep scale. I offer you a chance to join me, and together we can find your path as a Sith Lady."

As he spoke, Sidious lunged with his blades again, determined to get to the fallen Inquisitor.

And once again, Ahsoka intervened, blocking his strikes and forcing him into exchanging a series of blows with her.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not, and never will be your apprentice!"

Sidious cackled again before locking his blades with Ahsoka's, red and white pushing against one another.

"You deceive yourself!"

Just then, the tell-tale sound of another lightsaber igniting hit Ahsoka's senses. From behind Sidious, Maul emerged, his double bladed saber swinging, one again poised to strike at his former master.

Sidious clearly sensed this, as he pushed Ahsoka back once again, before turning to deflect and redirect Maul's strikes.

"You have stagnated my old apprentice. Such a shame!" Sidious taunted as he unleashed a volley of his own strikes in retaliation, before being forced to pivot and defend himself from Ahsoka once again.

"I have improved significantly, no thanks to you 'Master'. Lady Tano has helped me far more than you ever have!" The Zabrak all but screeched back, rotating his saber in his hands quickly, forcing Sidious to back off further into Ahsoka.

Ahsoka swung her sabers towards Sidious midsection from both directions, aiming to cleave the Sith Master in two. Anticipating this, Sidious harnessed the force and launched himself upwards, over the heads of both Ahsoka and Maul, coming down behind the Zabrak.

"So it seems my former apprentice. Perhaps I have use for you as well." Sidious spoke, a dark tone in his voice.

Maul growled under his breath, coming to stand beside Ahsoka in preparation.

"You have nothing to offer me anymore Sidious."

Beneath his hood, the Sith Master's eyes shone, a plan clearly circulating in his mind.

"Not even the position of 'Grand Inquisitor'? You could work beside us both, help us bring order to the galaxy. You would finally have the power you seek Maul!"

Through the force, Ahsoka felt Maul's surprise at the offer.

What terrified her was that it seemed like Maul was considering it.

Reaching across their unexpected bond, she tugged lightly at Maul's signature, reminding him that she was here beside him, and that she wanted to help him.

And just as quickly as the consideration had appeared, it vanished, anger and hatred replacing it.

"LIAR! YOU WOULD USE ME AGAIN, AND THEN CAST ME ASIDE!" Maul yelled, twirling his saber in deadly arcs and charging the Sith Master, who cackled in glee.

Red blades clashed duelled, sparks emerging around the combatants as sabers clipped the floor from deflections.

"Oh course I lie. What possible use would I have for a failed apprentice who lost his legs to a padawan?"

Maul roared again in anger, trying to breach Sidious defences through brute force. Ahsoka tried to intervene, to take some of the pressure off of Maul, but the combat was too intense and fast paced for her to join in anywhere.

Sidious was fighting a lot faster now, much faster than he had been when they had been duelling.

'He is trying to turn you. Use that!' A feminine voice spoke in her head suddenly, the same one that had informed her of where Sidious was earlier.

In the midst of the battle, Ahsoka found her gaze drawn to Sidious' throne. There sitting on it, was the Sith holocron from Malachor.

That was who had been calling her. The presence inside the holocron. She had bonded with it on an intrinsic level.

And now it was calling out to her, flooding her senses with darker side.

'He will kill them, but he wants you!' The voice spoke again, confusing Ahsoka more. What exactly did the presence mean?

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Sidious voice boomed out suddenly, pulling Ahsoka back from her distracted thoughts.

The sudden crackle of electricity once again filled the room, as lightning once again erupted from Sidious towards Maul, knocking him down to the floor.

Ahsoka moved on instinct, shifting her blades towards Sidious, forcing him away from the fallen Zabrak.

Once more, white and red clashed and danced, blows being traded, the cycle of offensive and defence shifting constantly.

As she defended herself from another onslaught from Sidious, Ahsoka began to notice something.

He was fighting slower against her!

When going up against Maul, the Sith Master appeared to be going full on, attempting to kill his former apprentice.

But against her, Sidious seemed to hold some sort of restraint. As if he was testing her.

Or more like trying not to kill her!

In that moment, she understood what the presence in the holocron was telling her.

Sidious wanted her as his apprentice, so he couldn't kill her, only maim her.

However, he held no such reservation when it came to Maul.

Nor Kanan or Obi-Wan. Sidious would kill them if he got the chance.

But Ahsoka, he wouldn't. Not unless she really pushed him to.

If she could just find some sort of opening in his defences, maybe she could fool him into leaving himself open.

Maybe she could catch him off guard.

Pivoting her blades again, Ahsoka broke off her defence, launching a counteroffensive against Sidious, who in response shifted his twin sabers closer to his body, protecting his middle.

White and red continued to clash, before once again Ahsoka found herself in a saber lock, Sidious peering at her maliciously.

"Do you not recognize the crystal within this saber of mine? I lost the original twin, but then I discovered one that would be a suitable replacement. After all, it is only fitting that Lord Vader be here to witness this day as well. He would have been so proud."

Ahsoka chose not the react, other than a gritting of her teeth, to the revelation of one of Sidious' sabres' containing Vader's crystal, which he himself must had plundered from a Jedi at the end of the clone war. It would do her no good to be distracted by such memories.

"Yes, that is good. I can feel your anger. Embrace it!" Sidious continued, clearly sensing Ahsoka's line of thought, despite her best efforts to withhold them.

"Never!" Ahsoka spat in reply, pushing against the saber lock, forcing Sidious back a step.

"Ah, but you already have Ahsoka. Your eyes are the same as mine. Full of power!"

That got under her skin. The very thought of her eyes being golden rather than blue upset her. She knew that tampering with the darkside was dangerous, and from what Rex had told her in the past, her eyes had gone golden before.

In her temporary distraction, Sidious managed to force her back, breaking out of the saber lock and knocking her to the ground.

Shaking off her disorientation, Ahsoka glanced back up to see Sidious raising his hand, no doubt to assault her with more lightning.

That was until a pair of blue blades ignited behind the Sith Master, forcing him to turn to deal with his new attackers.

Maul too was back on his feet now, working in tandem with Obi-Wan and Kanan to surround Sidious, forcing him to defend himself from all sides.

In the chaos, Ahsoka too managed to her feet, moving to join in on the assault on Darth Sidious.

From all sides, lightsabers swung and lunged towards the Emperor.

And he met every single one, deflecting and redirecting attacks, launching counter attacks where it would not have been possible for anyone other than himself to do.

He was fast. That Ahsoka had already discovered. But this was something else. Never before had she seen someone fend off four separate force users at the same time. The closest she had in comparison was General Grievous, but that was only one person wielding multiple sabers.

Sidious was defending himself against four independent duellists working together…

And winning.

And all the while, the Sith Lord cackled, his blades crashing against everyone else's blades.

From one side, Maul and Obi-Wan attacked, aiming to throw Sidious off with a two pronged attack.

But Sidious responded, lightning erupting from his hands, pushing Obi-Wan back, and then turning to deflect Maul's flurry.

And he was doing this all in the space of around a second.

'How the kriff do we beat that?' Ahsoka thought in anger.

The conflict seemed to continue for a while, and Sidious was showing no signs of stopping, yet alone slowing.

But Ahsoka continued, hoping that eventually she would find an opening, whether by accident or not.

It only occurred to her then that Kanan was not attacking. He was standing on one side of Sidious, blocking his escape. But unlike herself, Obi-Wan and Maul, he was no attempting to strike at Sidious.

He was still defending himself from any wayward strikes the Emperor tried to send his way, but for the most part, Sidious seemed to be preoccupied with the others.

From where she was, it seemed like Kanan was waiting for something, rather than not participating altogether.

Had he seen something she hadn't?

Trusting that Kanan knew what he was doing, Ahsoka launched another assault at Sidious, her twin blades coming across in a horizontal motion. Again, Sidious deflected the blow, cackling all the while, before ducking under a swing from Obi-Wan and moving to clash and deflect a strike from Maul.

And still Kanan did not move.

Then, she heard his voice in her head.

'Get him to duck again.'

Sending a wave of acknowledgement through the force, Ahsoka attacked again, utilizing the same strike as before. Sidious clearly anticipated this, as once again he deflected the blades of Ahsoka, before turning to clash with Obi-Wan.

And then Ahsoka swung for the Sith Master's head.

Having no time to turn and deflect, Sidious broke off from Obi-Wan and ducked under Ahsoka's blades.

And then Kanan lunged.

The blind Jedi's sudden intervention clearly surprised Sidious, as he released a scream of fury as Kanan's blue blade broke past the threshold where Sidious could easily deflect it.

The Sith Master was able to evade a lethal blow, but that didn't seem to be Kanan's goal at all.

Instead, his blue blade aimed directly for one of Sidious' saber hilts, the plasma blade connecting with the hilt and shattering it in Sidious' hands.

The Sith Master growled as the wreckage of one of his blades fell to the floor. The breach in his defences, and the unexpected loss only seemed to infuriate Sidious further. The knowledge that it was Kanan that had done it of all of them only served to increase the anger.

Now, Sidious was left with only the saber he had constructed with Vader's crystal.

Rather than try to defend himself with one blade, Sidious delved into the force, and pushed.

His four opponents were sent stumbling backwards from the push, beginning to recover relatively quickly despite the attack.

And then Sidious attacked again, this time in an unexpected manner.

Reaching deep into the darkside, Sidious placed his free hand palm down upon the floor, and channelled his rage.

Lightning erupted from his fingertips, coursing through the floor towards his foes.

The team barely had any time to evade, and there was no room to escape.

As if grabbed by something from deep underwater, the lightning grasped hold of Ahsoka's ankles, launching her upwards into the air, electricity coursing through her body from the attack.

Despite her pain, Ahsoka could make out the forms of the others, each in a similar predicament.

And then Sidious pushed again, throwing the team members in various directions.

Maul and Kanan were sent barrelling into walls on opposite ends of the throne room, crashing against the walls before collapsing to the floor.

Obi-Wan was sent careening over towards Sidious throne, tumbling over the top of it in the process, coming to rest on the other side of it.

And Ahsoka found herself sailing backwards towards the pit that seemed to lead into the interior of the station.

Reaching out with her hands, Ahsoka managed to grasp the railing, before her grip slipped.

Gritting her teeth, she reached out again as she fell, and this time she managed to grab hold of the ledge, her hands suspending her above the chasm below.

The strain from the fight, as well as the damage from the lightning was having a detrimental effect on her body. She as feeling tired, and lightheaded.

And then she realised her fingers were slipping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, pretty hectic chapter, right? We are so close to the end that I can practically taste it!
> 
> Now, before I go any further I am going to say this. Bad news time. I am not going to upload the next chapter of this story until I have finished writing the story as a whole. In good news, I only have the epilogue to write, but it is going to be long. Hopefully this chapter sates your desire for now. :)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all liked what happened with the Eighth Bro. No way was he going to be able to beat Sidious, even with help. So, I cut his hand off. Sorry buddy. But hey, at least he's not dead. (yet)
> 
> Also, Kanan being the one to take out one of Sidious' lightsabers is going to be controversal I know. But hey, I liked the idea, and it was unexpected. So I put it in.
> 
> Anyway, next time round everything comes together. The only question is: Who will survive? And who will not?


	42. Destinies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Sidious face off again,  
> And fates are decided by a powerful entity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Hope you like this one. Expect a rather long author's note at the end explaning what happens.

Her grip on the ledge weakened, the strain of the ongoing duel with Sidious now taking its toll on her.

She tried to reach into the force, to amplify her own power and muster a force enhanced jump back up.

But she was tired, and her body hurt.

Her fingers continued to slip.

Until they did.

Ahsoka could no longer hold on, the weight of her own body letting her down.

And then she found herself plummeting downwards, into the seemingly bottomless pit below, one that ran into the heart of the battle station.

She fell a few feet, and closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

And then, she stopped falling.

Opening her eyes in surprise, Ahsoka gasped as she realized she was being suspended by something.

Or someone.

Through the force, she could tell someone had their grip on her.

And they were pulling her back up.

She couldn't tell who it was through the force, and she had yet to gain vision of the person, considering she had fallen down the hole.

Presumably it was one of her team, come to rescue her whilst the others fended off Sidious.

But then again, they had all also been hit by Sidious assault. No doubt they were also out of action of a bit.

So if it wasn't them, then who was it?

For a brief dark moment, Ahsoka thought that maybe it was Sidious himself. After all, he wanted her as his apprentice. He wouldn't just let her plummet to her death like that.

Not that he cared about her of course, Ahsoka was no fool. To him, she was a tool that could be used, until a better one came along. He wouldn't dispose of her yet. So maybe he was the one to save her.

'That would be his greatest mistake.' She thought with dark humour.

As she continued to be pulled up, her first glimpse of her saviour came into view.

One hand was outstretched, and it was clawed, the biology of it not representing a human's or even a Zabrak's.

Instead, it looked a lot like a hand that would belong to a Terrelian Jango Jumper.

As she was brought back above the ledge, Ahsoka finally saw her saviour.

The Eighth Brother stood on shaky legs, his stump cradled close to his chest, and his other still attached hand held out to her.

He had been the one to pull her up!

'What is he up to now?' Ahsoka thought, completely confused. One minute he was Sidious' loyal attack dog, the next he was out to kill both him and Ahsoka, or let them kill each other.

And now he was saving her from certain death!

The Inquisitor made a sharp motion with his hand, pulling Ahsoka back across the railings and onto stable ground. The Togruta landed with a roll, her gaze moving back to lock with the now swaying Inquisitor.

"Don't think this means I like you Tano!" The Eighth Brother snarled, before gesturing to the floor by her feet.

Glancing down, she spotted the Inquisitor's lightsaber resting, waiting to be picked back up.

During the impact of Sidious' attack, she had lost her grip on her own weapons, the two hilts flying off in some random direction, one that Ahsoka was unsure about. For all she knew they were lost.

So for now, she had to make do with the Inquisitor's weapon. After all, he was offering it to her.

Reaching down, she gripped the hilt in the centre, testing the weight of the weapon in her hand. It was heavier than hers, and the grip didn't quite fit her hand the way she liked, but she could fight with it.

Looking back up at the Inquisitor, she began to speak, before the Terrelian slumped over onto the floor out cold. Through the force she could feel him. He was still alive, just unconscious.

And right now she could do nothing to help him. Instead, she turned and began to move towards a sound of blades clashing.

Climbing back up the stairs, Ahsoka gained sight of Sidious duelling both Obi-Wan and Maul, the two arch enemies working in tandem to defeat the Sith Master, much like she and Maul had done to Vader on Malachor.

Advancing towards the ongoing duel, Ahsoka spotted Kanan moving to join in, his own blue blade coming upwards in a vertical swing, clashing briefly against Sidious' remaining blade, before being pushed back via a force push.

Sidious then turned his attention to Maul, his single red blade moving with rapid speed, deflecting strikes from Maul's double ended one.

Obi-Wan then seized his opportunity, attempting to strike Sidious in the back, only for the Sith Master to unleash a stream of force lightning with his free hand, forcing Obi-Wan to deflect that with his lightsaber, rather than attack Sidious directly.

And all the while, Sidious continued to parry Maul's strikes, despite Maul's skill.

Reaching the threshold of the duel, Ahsoka gripped the Eighth Brother's saber in her hand and ignited one end of the blade. Crimson light suddenly bathed her from the darksider's weapon, and Sidious turned to notice this, pushing Maul back in the process.

"That colour suits you my dear. Are you ready to become my apprentice now?"

Ahsoka's response was to charge.

*******************************************************************************************************************

"Hera, we've made it to the crystal, and made contact with Professor Erso. We're going to activate the weapon and cause the crystal to destabilize. The resulting explosive should take out the station. Is everything ready on your end?" Rex spoke into his comm whilst Galen Erso began to prep the firing sequence.

A few seconds of static came over the comm in response, before Hera began to reply.

"Copy that Rex. Everything is ready on this end. The Ghost is waiting back in the hanger bay where you left Zeb and Kallus. They are already on board with their Wookies allies. Once you set the crystal to destabilize, get back here as fast as you can. No messing around, understood. We won't have much time." Hera's voice was authoritarive, yet full of concern at the same time.

"Understood Hera. You'll see us soon. Rex out."

And with that, Rex cut the comm link, turning his attention back to Erso and his work.

The professor moved around various consoles, priming sequences and powering up others. Various lights began to shine green on separate consoles, clear indications of the systems coming online.

Moments later, only one console was left not active.

The central one.

Erso approached it with trepidation, and then began to run his fingers across the interface.

"This should do it." Erso spoke, before he pressed one last icon on the display.

Rex waited with baited breath, glancing up at the synthetic crystal before him, expecting to see something.

But then a loud beep emerged from Erso' console, one that was clearly negative.

And then Erso yelled.

"What! Authority of Director Orson Krennic required! Password needed! Dammit it Krennic!"

"What's wrong?" Ezra spoke up, coming to the side of Erso to look at the console.

"Krennic locked down the firing sequence with a password. I can't fire to weapon if I can't guess the password. Orson always did have to have the last laugh." Erso replied, both in admiration and annoyance for Krennic's schemes.

Rex watched as Erso began to input random guessed for passwords. Each one came up as negative.

"Try his date of birth or something." Ezra suggested.

"Tried that." Erso replied.

"Planet of birth?" Sabine suggested from behind them. Rex wasn't surprised that a Mandalorian would suggest such a thing.

Erso's fingers went across the console for a moment, before replying.

"Not that either."

"What about names of loved ones?" Gregor spoke out from beside Rex, earning a laugh from Erso in response.

"Krennic? Loved ones? Krennic didn't have any loved ones expect for himself!"

"Try one, two, three, four. I always use that!" Hondo then boomed out in his usual bombastic manner, earning a chuckle from Ezra in the process.

"Not even Krennic is stupid enough to do that!" Erso replied, trying the suggestion nonetheless.

As expected it came across as negative.

"We are going to be here forever!" Gregor muttered under his breath.

Erso continued to work, trying out a few more suggestions from the team, such as the name of Krennic's ship, as well as the name of the battle station.

And then Hondo spoke again.

"I know! Try something like 'Orson Krennic is the best!' I use that one too sometimes."

To Rex, it seemed to entire of the team groaned at Hondo's suggestion. Frankly Rex agreed. How stupid could you be to have such a vainglorious password?

Erso groaned aloud at Hondo's suggestion also, trying his own guessed again, each coming across as negative.

"Try what Hondo said." Ezra spoke up then with humour, to which Erso responded with a scandalized look.

"Seriously?" The professor replied, mortification in his tone.

Ezra shrugged his shoulders in response. "Why not? You never know."

Erso sighed dramatically at the situation, before deciding to humour the Weequay pirate.

"'Orson Krennic is the best.' There, now to see it be horribly wrong." Erso spoke sarcastically, before pressing the confirmation button.

The console waited a few seconds, before pinging.

Rex couldn't believe his eyes, and clearly none of the others could either.

This time round, the console didn't flash red as it had done.

It flashed green, accepting the password.

No one spoke for a moment. Instead, they just all took in what had just happened.

And then Erso spoke.

"Unbelievable."

"Ha ha! I was right. Hondo, the master hacker. I should get a medal for this!"

*************************************************************************************************************************************

It was somewhat surreal, having a red lightsaber in her hand. She had wielded green before, and then white after Raada.

But red was a colour typically associated with the Sith. The Inquisitor had no doubt corrupted the crystals within his saber himself.

In fact, there was a good chance that the crystals used to belong to him before the fall of the Jedi order. If the rumours about the Inquisitor's being former Jedi were true, then where else would he have gotten the crystals?

Still, right now she could not dwell on that thought. Her attention was solely on Darth Sidious.

Pivoting on her heel, Ahsoka sent a flurry of strikes at the Sith Master, each of which he deflected, and one which he redirected, allowing himself to launch a counteroffensive.

In response, Ahsoka gripped the Eighth Brother's saber harder in her hand, igniting the other end of the blade.

Ahsoka had rarely if ever trained in the art of double bladed combat, but right now she had other plans, and a theory to test.

Priming the rotation feature on the weapon, Ahsoka held out the spinning blade before her, creating a seemingly impenetrable wall of red plasma.

Seemingly impenetrable to most that was. If Sidious really wanted to break through it to kill her, he would.

And if he didn't, then he was going easy on her, as she expected.

The Sith Lord didn't move to attack for a few seconds, and then as expected chose to back off, assaulting Maul with his blade instead.

So Sidious wasn't trying to kill her, which much was now certain. If she could find a way to exploit that, then they had a chance.

"AH!"

A cry of pain brought Ahsoka out of her inner thoughts, as she witnessed Obi-Wan knocked down onto the floor, a light cut present on his left thigh, courtesy of Sidious.

The Sith Lord cackled again, before moving to intercept Maul again.

Seizing her opportunity, Ahsoka reached into both sides of the force, and unleashed a force push in Sidious direction.

With the Sith Lord distracted by Maul, he was unable to defend himself, and was sent backwards himself, landing in an undignified heap of long black cloak, before rising back to his feet just as fast as he had fallen.

"You dare attack your master in such a way apprentice!" Sidious snarled, before vaulting into the air and coming down on Ahsoka's position, a tornado of blows coming in quick succession against the blade Ahsoka held.

Deactivating one end of the blade, Ahsoka parried and deflected, entering into a saber lock with Sidious. Behind the Sith Lord, Maul began to charge, vicious intent in his golden eyes.

That was until Sidious broke out of the saber lock and turned to Maul, slashing his blade towards the Zabrak's head.

Maul barely managed to duck in time, sliding to the floor and back to his feet beside Ahsoka.

As Sidious pivoted to face the two, a sinister smile came to his face.

Ahsoka spotted what he was looking at. During Maul's slide, the Sith Lord had caught the horns on the top of Maul's head, severing a pair off. The Zabrak seemed to not care however, his focus solely on his hatred for Sidious.

The Sith Master began to cackle as Kanan moved to join Ahsoka and Maul, supporting Obi-Wan on his shoulder.

"Come then my opponents. Let us finish this!"

And with that, the Sith Master's hands came up sharply, the force swirling around him as he mustered a large push in their direction.

In response, Ahsoka held her own hands out, pushing back against Sidious' manipulation of the force.

Beside her, Maul and Kanan did the same, their hands out, pushing with considerable strain.

Obi-Wan too, despite his wound, held his hands out, adding his strength to the push.

But try as they may, Sidious was too strong. Ahsoka felt her muscles begin to ache was they pushed against Sidious. The strain was too much.

Despite their best efforts, and despite the fact that it seemed like Sidious was struggling also, Ahsoka felt the Sith Lord break through their resistance.

Sidious broke through, and Ahsoka once again found herself flying backwards onto the floor thanks to a force push. Her landing would cause bruising, no doubt about that.

The others weren't so lucky. Sidious clearly had directed more of the force push in their direction. Rather than being sent to the floor, they were sent careening backwards, crashing into a wall nearby, before slumping to the floor.

Through the force, Ahsoka could feel them all slip into an unconscious state.

"And once again, it is just us. The master and the apprentice."

Ahsoka audibly sighed. How many times did she have to tell this piece of bantha dung?

Twisting her arm to counter a series of strikes from Sidious with the Inquisitor's lightsaber, Ahsoka darted backwards out of reach of her opponent, lest he attempt to wound her again.

The Sith Lord followed however, furiously trying to disarm her in the process. Each clash of his blade upon hers caused Ahsoka to stumble slightly. The unfamiliar grip of the lightsaber in her hand didn't help the situation. If she was using her own, she would be better suited to such a duel.

As Sidious came in for another flurry of strikes, Ahsoka seized the opportunity to launch her own counteroffensive, sweeping the blade she held towards Sidious' feet, before angling the blade upwards, attempting to cleave the Sith in two.

As expected, Sidious countered easily, deflecting the blow aimed at his feet and countering with his own assault at the Togruta, forcing her to jump over his blade.

In mid jump, Sidious pushed her back again with the force, knocking Ahsoka to the ground once again.

Shaking off the disorientation from the fall, Ahsoka vaulted to her feet, crouching into a ready position.

Across from her, Sidious waited.

"Tell me dear, you strike me down today and then what? You become a Jedi again? Train your own apprentice? Who would accept you for a teacher anyways? A failed Jedi who ran away?"

Ahsoka tried not to think about the past. It was too painful, even over a decade later. And truth be told she had no intention to ever return to being a Jedi. They had cast her out, and frankly, she was glad. Away from the limitations of the Jedi, away from the rules, Ahsoka had found her own balance.

Balance that had kept her alive.

And right now she needed to stay balanced, for the sake of those who were threatened by Sidious' existence.

And then, a sudden look of surprise came across Sidious' face, followed by a dark glee.

"Oh, what is this I see in your mind? A young girl by the side of Senator Organa, and a young boy in the deserts of Tatooine. Could it possibly be?"

Ahsoka's breath hitched. Sidious was probing her mind. She was so focused on the ongoing duel, on keeping herself steady that she had neglected to keep her mental shields up.

And now, Sidious had breached them, and found out information that was meant to be kept the upmost secret from him.

"The children of Skywalker live! This is meant to be!"

Ahsoka snarled, her presence in the force darkening at Sidious' rhetoric. It was clear what he had planned.

"You won't touch them!" Ahsoka spat back, gripping the saber in her hands tighter.

Sidious began to cackle once again, this time much louder and full of far more menace than previously.

"Oh my dear I will. Since you seem most persistent on refusing my generous offer to you, I will have to turn them instead. I no longer have need for you Ahsoka Tano!"

And then Sidious was upon her again, attacking with ferocity unmatched by the Togruta.

Now he was fighting to kill, Ahsoka could tell. Each of his attacks were fast and deadly, designed to mortally wound rather than disarm.

Each blow was like getting hit by an oncoming speeder. Each deflection caused Ahsoka to stumble.

Each clash strained her muscles more and more, wearing her out in the space of a few seconds.

Through the force, Ahsoka could feel Sidious' anger and hatred as he brutally attacked her.

And try as she may, Ahsoka was unable to launch her own counteroffensive. She was even unable to back off, as Sidious would follow her, his crimson blade bathing him in a horrific glow that resembled death itself.

And then he broke through her defences.

Ahsoka's hand burnt as Sidious' blade made contact with the hilt of the Eighth Brother's, destroying the weapon and sending sparks flying in all directions, scorching her hand in the process.

The small scale explosion of the lightsaber caused Ahsoka to stumble backwards, and seconds later Sidious unleashed his full power upon her.

Lightning erupted from his free hand, crashing into Ahsoka and sending her writhing to the floor, screaming in pain as the lightning traversed her body.

Her lekku and montrals pulsated in agony as the lightning disrupted her senses. Her body began to feel as though it was submerged in boiling water.

"Young fool, only now at the end, do you see the truth."

Lightning continued to cover Ahsoka's body, burning through her armour, cooking her from within. Ahsoka could smell the stench of her own flesh being roasted from within.

"You will pay the price for you lack of vision."

Ahsoka could pay no attention to Sidious' taunts. The agonizing pain of Sidious' force lightning was too much. And yet the Sith Lord continued.

And Ahsoka continued to scream. Her breathing began to grow sporadic, until she found herself unable to breathe altogether.

And still, Sidious continued, arcing the lightning across her body, burning away.

And all the while, Sidious cackled.

The brutal usage of the force continued, and the pain began to grow excruciating. Ahsoka had yet to pass out from such agony, and she assumed this too was down to Sidious. No doubt the Sith Lord was keeping her awake, forcing her to endure the pain.

And then, something changed. In her head, everything began to grow silent. And something tried to pry into her mind.

And then, a pair of voices.

'Focus Togruta! Find a way to destroy him!' The voice of the presence in the holocron spoke first, offering nothing more than more darkside rhetoric that did little to help her in the current situation.

And then, another voice, one she recognized, but could not believe she was hearing.

'Focus you must. Listen to the force. Calls to you, it does.'

How Yoda was contacting her from beyond was unknown to Ahsoka, but right now she welcomed the presence of the elder Jedi Master. Through the force she could feel him, what was left of him, by her side, willing her on.

And so, despite the agony, despite the torture, she listened.

There was a song, one singing out to her. It was dark and corrupted, but full of hope and a sense of familiarity in it at the same time. It was as if she had encountered it before, and that now it wanted to help her.

But what was it?

She continued to listen. The song was certainly familiar, in more than one way. It was a variation of a song she had heard before, a song that called out to her and her alone. As if it wanted her to do something with it.

And then, another voice in her head, one she had not heard in years, one she wanted to so desperately hear again, but never would.

And it muttered one word to her.

'Snips!'

"Anakin?" Ahsoka whispered in response, still under the torment of the lightning from Sidious.

And just was quickly as she had felt her master's presence, it receded, falling back to whatever its point of origin was.

So Ahsoka delved herself deeper into the force, trying to pinpoint the source.

And then Sidious stopped his lightning assault finally giving Ahsoka some time to breathe.

She lay on her back, coughing and spluttering from the agony. Her body ached from the barrage, the smell of burnt flesh prevalent in her nose. Her skin itched under her armour, a clear sign of damage being done.

It was her back that hurt the most. The searing pain only seemed to increase when Sidious ceased his assault. It was clear that this was where he had focused him attack on her body.

"Perhaps though, there is still a place for you within my ranks. The position of Inquisitor did recently open up. You would make a fine agent of mine whilst I corrupt the children of Skywalker."

Ahsoka slowly regained her breathe, moving up from the floor and taking a kneeling position before the Sith Lord.

Glancing up at him through dazed vision, Ahsoka analysed the situation.

Sidious stood before her, his free hand by his side, ready to unleash lightning once again. His other hand held his remaining saber, the one contained Vader's plundered crystal.

Sidious began to speak again, but Ahsoka paid him no mind. The force suddenly called to her again, that strange yet familiar song playing in her head. It was closer to her now, and calling with more magnitude.

Closing her eyes and listening to it, Ahsoka once again tried to pinpoint the source. It was close, very very close.

She followed the presence in the force, allowing it to dictate her movements. She didn't need to stand. Whatever it was was within reaching distance.

Instead, she subconsciously moved her head to the side slightly, focusing on something in particular.

And then, when the force sang out to her louder, she opened her eyes.

Confusion hit her firstly. Why had the force directed her to look at that? She knew what a lightsaber looked and felt like.

And then, realization!

The force had directed her to look at Sidious' remaining lightsaber. The song that called to her was emanating from it.

Or more specifically, it was emanating from the kyber crystal within.

Vader's crystal.

Sith corrupted their crystals through the process known as bleeding. They infused it with their hatred and their anger, twisting the crystal to their own needs. Contained within the crystal was everything that made a Sith a Sith. All of their power, all of their thoughts, contained within one small crystal.

And somehow, just somehow, residing within Darth Vader's corrupted crystal was one little part of Anakin Skywalker, put their subconsciously by Vader when he had corrupted it.

And now, it called out to her, offering to help.

Sidious had clearly not purged it of the presence of Vader when he had plundered it from Malachor. And now it would work against him, rather than for.

All she had to do was get her hands onto the saber itself.

That was easier said than done of course, considering it was currently in the hands of Sidious himself, who was still in the midst of some sort of monologue that Ahsoka was not even paying attention to.

What she needed was a distraction, something that would divert Sidious' attention for just a second.

Reaching into the force again, she called out for Maul.

When no response came from the Zabrak, she called out for Obi-Wan and Kanan.

Still, there was no response. The blows they had taken had knocked them all out cold. They wouldn't be of any help here.

Which meant that she had to somehow do this herself.

'Over there. Pull it towards you.'

The voice of the holocron spoke in her head this time, offering advice and pointing her in a direction.

Moving her eyes to the right and behind Sidious, Ahsoka spotted the familiar glean of the metal hilt of one of her lightsabers.

If she could pull the shoto towards her, she might stand a chance.

"So Ahsoka Tano, I offer you one last chance. Join me, or die!"

Ahsoka allowed a smile to come to her face, careful not to betray any emotion or thoughts as she had done before. Sidious' smirk had gone now, instead it was replaced by an intense look of concentration. His focus was on her and her alone.

Out of the corner of her eye, and through the force, she felt further shifting. Maul was getting back up.

'Wait for my signal.' She whispered through their bond. Maul acknowledged, preparing himself for what was to come.

Locking eyes with Sidious, Ahsoka gave her reply.

"Go kriff yourself ugly!"

Sidious snarled, and raised the arm holding the lightsaber above his head, ready to bring it down upon her head.

Reaching deep into the force herself, Ahsoka spotted the hilt of her shoto begin to twitch, angling it's emitter towards Sidious' unprotected flank.

And then the entire station shook.

************************************************************************************************************************************

Galen Erso stared down at the console.

One final push that was all it would take. One push and this station would be history.

One push and all of his and Krennic's hard work would be obliterated.

One push, and he would have his revenge.

Reaching the palm of his hand forward, Galen Erso pushed the accept button.

And then all hell broke loose.

Consoles around the room sparked dramatically, showing the floor with bright orange flashes. Systems began to come online, power being channelled through various components.

And then, the synthetic crystal shuddered suddenly, a bright red glow emerging from it, before suddenly it exploded in light.

The crystal began to evidently crack, veins of white energy appearing on its surface, seeping out. The consoles connected to it began to blare warnings aloud, and an emergency siren began to deafen him.

The crystal began to pulsate with energy, before seemingly exploding outwards, discharging energy all around the station, the result of which caused the entirety of the station to shudder.

"The crystal is destabilised. We have to go NOW!" Erso shouted out to the rebels who had come to destroy the station.

"Couldn't agree more. EVERYONE MOVE! BACK TO THE HANGER BAY!" Rex replied, yelling his command out.

Within seconds the team had turned and began to run back out the way they had come in, hoping to retrace their steps.

They had to get back to the Ghost quickly.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

Hera felt the station shudder suddenly, even from within the Ghost.

That could only mean one thing. The team had succeeded.

Now they would have to wait for them to get back in time, assuming they did.

And if they didn't, then Hera would wait.

She wasn't going to abandon them now.

After all, they were her family.

************************************************************************************************************************************

"What the hell was that?!" Wilhuff Tarkin demanded to know as the station shook dramatically, the consoles in the control room all beginning to blare various warnings.

"Grand Moff, we are picking up a massive power reading in the centre of the station. The crystals appear to be overloading. The resulting explosion will decimate this station. We have to leave now!" Jerjerrod replied, concern on his face as he analysed a terminal.

Tarkin didn't want to leave. This was supposed to be his station now.

And by the looks of it, Tano had somehow managed to cause it to blow up!

"Stupid Togruta bitch!" Tarkin muttered under his breath, cursing the Togruta as best he could despite the situation.

"Sorry sir?" Jerjerrod replied, confused about Tarkin's temporary decent into cursive language.

Tarkin shook his head before replying, already planning his escape route to his personal ship.

"Nothing officer, we must flee. I have a ship in a nearby hanger."

And with that, Tarkin exited the control room, two deathtroopers flanking him, and Jerjerrod by his side.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

The room seemed to move suddenly, as if caught in some sort of earthquake, but it was all the distraction Ahsoka needed.

The shudder caused Sidious to stumble slightly, and in his confusion, Ahsoka reached into the force and pulled her lightsaber towards him.

She pictured the hilt in her mind, finding the ignition switch with the force, and pushed it down.

The hilt was flying towards Sidious now, and the blade suddenly activated, white light emerging from the emitter, aiming to pierce through Sidious' back.

The Sith Lord sensed this, and turned, a brief moment of surprise coming to him at the sight of a lightsaber flying towards him without anyone holding it.

Pivoting his own blade away from Ahsoka's head, he deflected the oncoming beam of white plasma with ease.

And then Maul attacked, his own lightsaber being thrown via the force, spinning towards Sidious in an arc of red death.

Sidious was forced to duck to avoid the rotating double ended blade as it passed by over his head.

Only for Maul to summon it back the way it came, arcing through the air towards Sidious front.

Sidious snarled aloud as he pivoted his own blade to deflect the rotating saber, the surprise retaliation causing Sidious to falter ever so slightly, yet still deflect the unexpected attack from Maul.

And then Ahsoka made her move. Despite the pain her body was in, she mustered all of her strength and charged Sidious, slamming her shoulder into him, whilst reaching her hands out to grasp Sidious' lightsaber in her own hands.

Sidious was knocked back slightly, dragging Ahsoka with him as they wrestled for control over the lightsaber.

"Bold move Tano. But foolish!"

Ahsoka did not reply, instead focusing all her energy on trying to wrestle the saber out of Sidious' hands.

Through the force, she could feel the crystal calling out to her, channelling its power into her hands.

She felt the presence of the holocron, channelling its connection to her, amplifying her darkside strength.

She felt the ever calm presence of Yoda, offering his support and guidance too, balancing out her light and darkness, solidifying her in the centre.

She pushed and pulled the hilt in her hands, trying to remove it from Sidious grasp. The Sith Lord did the same, beginning to angle to blade in a manner that would remove her hand if not careful.

Sidious began to grunt in strain, clearly not used to such physical confrontations. Evidently he preferred the usage of the force.

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka began to focus her mind. She pictured the crystal within the saber, and the crystal called back.

Both duellists had their hands on the saber, trying to either wrestle it out of the other's hands, or trying to move it to strike their opponent.

And then the shift occurred. The crystal began to sing to Ahsoka aloud, flooding her senses.

Through the force, she felt power flood down her arms, enhancing her, assisting her. The crystal inside of the hilt called louder to her, singing a song that nearly deafened her.

Her grip on the saber tightened, and she began to gain control over it, directing the saber blade away from her hands, and towards Sidious' wrists.

In quite the contrast to Ahsoka's reaction, Sidious' face began to twist into a look of despair and horror. He to felt the crystal' shift in allegiance, and within him he felt it draining his power, sucking out his one advantage and offering it to Tano.

The red beam of plasma was now dangerously close to both duellists, and one push in either direction would no doubt result in death.

The strain of the wrestle began to set in, both fighters began breathing heavily.

The blade was now position above Sidious wrists. One more move was all it would take.

Yet in doing so she would harm herself.

But in the end, it was worth it. Ahsoka was prepared to make such a sacrifice.

Gripping the hilt tightly, Ahsoka pushed it downwards with all her might.

The blade shifted quickly, red plasma slicing through Sidious' wrists, separating the limbs and rewarding her with his yelp of agony.

However, the sheer force required to break Sidious' hold on the weapon cause the blade to keep travelling downwards, the searing hot blade making contact with her left knee cap, slicing a nasty cut into it, but not separating it from her body.

Ahsoka too yelled in pain, collapsing to the floor from the wound and her leg buckled underneath her.

But still, she cared little right now. Glancing up from her position, she spotted Sidious, glaring down at the stumps where his hands had previously been, terror in his golden eyes.

The Sith Lord fell to his own knees as he gave a cry of disbelief and anger. Anger at being bested.

Ahsoka couldn't help the smug smile that came to her face, as she began to shakily rise to her feet. Only adrenaline was stopping her from collapsing again.

From where he was perched on his knees, Sidious glared up at her, his eyes bright golden.

"So now what. If you kill me then you are no better than the Sith you claim that you are not. Come, strike me down with all your hatred, and your journey towards the darkside will be complete!"

Ahsoka contemplated it. She really wanted to kill him. After all, he was the reason everything had gone so wrong.

Glancing down at the hilt of his saber in her hand, Ahsoka decided his fate.

Reaching down, she attached the saber to her belt.

Sidious began to cackle.

"So weak. Can't even work up the courage to kill me. Jedi scum!"

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders, before her eyes caught a glimpse of movement behind Sidious.

"I'm no Jedi Sidious, but I'm not going to kill you."

Sidious began to cackle again, despite the dire situation he was in.

"But I can't promise he won't."

Sidious suddenly ceased his cackling, a fearful look on his face, as if he had suddenly sensed what was now standing right behind him.

Ahsoka took that as her cue to leave, stepping off to the side before speaking to the person behind the fallen Sith Lord.

"As promised, he is all yours. Do as you wish."

Sidious' eyes began to dart around, looking for a way out before he heard the reply.

"Many thanks Lady Tano!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I bet some of you won't like this chapter, especially considering what just happened to Palpy. However, as with all things controversial in this AU, I have thought about it and have come up with an explanation for how things unfold the way they do. Originally I was going to wait until the epilogue to reveal it, but I decided to do it here as well, just so my audience understands my train of thought.
> 
> Ahsoka could never in a billion years beat Sidious conventionally. She can barely stand up to him when he is going all out. The only reason she survives as long as she does is because he is toying with her, training her to become his apprentice. However, when he disgards this goal, he defeats her in seconds, as seen in this chapter.
> 
> However, in this chapter we also see him defeated by her, except that in a way it is not her. In fact, I invisioned it so that Ahsoka was merely the physical entity used to defeat Sidious. She herself was not responsble, but instead three important factors working together were.  
> 1\. Yoda is dead, meaning he is now a force ghost. In her time of need, Yoda channels his presence with hers, amplfying her lightside power.  
> 2\. The Sith holocron also sides with Ahsoka, since she was the one to remove it from Malachor it has a bond with her. This in turn gives her a boost in the darkside of the force.  
> 3\. However, the most important factor is that Sidious is using Vader's kyber crystal. Since so many people believe that there is a shred of goodness within Vader, I decided to play on that a little with crystal lore. So, when Vader corrupts the crystal he used to make his lightsaber, he subconsciously placed a small piece of Anakin Skywalker inside of it, which remained dormant for years. However, when the crystal hears Ahsoka's screams of agony from the force lightning, that dormant fragment of Anakin reawakens and takes control of the crystal, shifting it's allegiance away from Sidious and to Ahsoka, draining the Sith Lord of his advantage and giving Ahsoka the strength to overpower Sidious and take control of the blade itself. Thus, in a way, the 'chosen one' prophecy is fulfilled still, but without Vader being alive. :)
> 
> So yeah, hopefully you understand where I was going with it, and hopefully you like the idea. :)
> 
> Next time round, Maul gets to have some fun, and Tarkin attempts to leave the station before it explodes. But someone won't let him.


	43. The End Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maul exacts his long awaited revenge,  
> And everyone tries to get off of the exploding Death Star, with various amounts of success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close to the end now. Hope you like this chapter.

The former Sith Lord Maul stared down at the pitiful sight before him.

Darth Sidious. The most powerful being in the universe. The Emperor of an entire galaxy. The man who had manipulated everyone, controlled everyone.

And now here he was, on his knees, handless and harmless, and completely at Maul's mercy.

Oh how he had dreamed of this day.

He would be forever grateful of Lady Tano.

But for now, he had a dream to fulfil.

Reaching his hand out to form a claw, Maul channelled the force against Sidious, catching him in a hold and lifting him up, being to choke him.

As the robed figure of Sidious began to leave the ground, the stumps on the end of his arms reaching up to his neck on reflex, the throne room filled with the sounds of Sidious gasping for breath, and being unable to find any.

"For years you tortured me. Abused me. Used me for your own ends. And then you cast me aside. Left me to rot as if I wasn't even your apprentice. You replaced me, and then hunted me, murdered my mother and brother. But now, now I am the one in control, and you will bow before me before the end 'Master.'"

Maul released Sidious in that instant, allowing the Sith Lord to tumble to the ground, gasping for air with painful breaths.

"You claim that your apprentices failed you, that they were not worthy. But 'Master' has it not occurred to you that you have not fully trained an apprentice since me? Instead, you take and warp Jedi to your own doing, rather than train them from scratch. Is it any wonder that Dooku failed you? Or Vader? Or even the Inquisitors? You failed to successfully train even one true apprentice."

Sidious's breath was beginning to return to normal, so Maul assaulted him again, throwing a rough force push in his direction, sending Sidious sprawling to the floor.

"And then you construct an empire, truly a remarkable feat considering the circumstances. Shame it has only lasted for a pitiful seventeen years!"

Once again, Sidious began to regain his senses, rising to his knees in pain.

And then Maul activated his lightsaber, angling the blade towards Sidious as he approached his former master.

Looking up, the Sith Lord's golden eyes locked onto Maul's, fear present as reality set in.

"Good 'Master', I can see your fear. After all, it is only right that the apprentice supersedes the master!"

With that, Maul swung his blade, careful not the mortally wound his target. The crimson blade cut into Sidious' left arm, burning a neat line across it, but not removing it. As expected, Sidious gave a cry of agony, his stumps where his hands had been once again moving in reflex to cover the wound. When he found he was unable too, Sidious gave a quiet whimper of despair.

"How does it feel Sidious? To experience what you have brought upon the many! You failed, and now you must pay!"

Maul lunged with his blade this time, digging deep into one of Sidious' leg, burning through the limb and rendering it useless.

Sidious was now sprawled on his back, whimpers of excruciating pain lancing through his body, the limbs that could move twitching rapidly.

Maul couldn't help the smirk that came to his face seeing his former master so helpless.

Behind him, he could feel that Lady Tano felt much the same.

"Look at you, so weak!" Maul spat again, his blade arcing across the floor before Sidious, sending showers of sparks over him.

"Have, have mercy. Please!" Sidious whimpered lightly, fully falling into a pitiful state.

Maul's smirk became even larger at the words. Long ago, he had pleaded the same of Sidious. Now, now the roles were reversed.

"There is no mercy!"

Maul swung his blade again, precisely severing off one of Sidious' legs, leaving the Sith Lord screaming out in pain.

Maul was fully aware of the situation. The rumble that had gone across the station earlier was no doubt a sign that the other team had succeeded in destabilising the kyber crystal. They didn't have much time, and no matter how much fun Maul was having, he'd rather live to tell the tale.

Stepping above his fallen master, Maul angled his saber for Sidious' non-existent heart. The Sith Lord's golden eyes locked onto Maul's expression, fear and terror still present.

"No, please don't!"

But Maul was not listening.

"This is for Savage Oppress!"

And then Maul lunged, his blade piercing Sidious' body, ripping through the internal organs.

And then Sidious exploded.

****************************************************************************************************************************

Tarkin powerwalked down the hallway, Jerjerrod and two deathtroopers by his side. Despite the dire situation they were in, Tarkin refused to run. He had an image to maintain after all. One of a calm collected Grand Moff. Not some panic ridden officer.

Jerjerrod clearly felt differently.

"Grand Moff, we must hurry. No telling how long it will be before the station explodes!"

Tarkin rolled his eyes at the concern in Jerjerrod's tone. He was a brilliant officer, just somewhat jumpy.

"Calm yourself. We have plenty of time, and my personal ship is waiting for us in hanger bay eight."

Jerjerrod did not calm despite Tarkin's words, something which the Grand Moff would remember and report to the Emperor, assuming the old man got off the station.

Continuing to walk down the hallway, Tarkin noted that Jerjerrod was growing increasingly impatient.

And then, approaching a four way junction, all hell broke loose.

Something smashed into Tarkin and his two deathtroopers, knocking them to the ground. Jerjerrod managed to evade in time, sparing himself from being knocked over, and instead took off running down the hallway to the hanger bay.

Shaking off the disorientation, Tarkin caught a glimpse of dulled white armour with blue markings, as well as a flash of green that resembled a lightsaber.

"REBELS!" Tarkin snarled as his vision returned to normal, just in time for him to witness a group of familiar rebels disappear down another corridor, no doubt intending on escaping themselves.

He wasn't able to identify who was in the pack, only managing to accurately catch a glimpse of a Weequay at the back of the group, who had turned around the wave in a sarcastic manner, before disappearing also.

The two deathtroopers with Tarkin made to follow the rebels, until Tarkin called them back.

"No! We must escape this station. The rebel insurgents can wait."

Nodding their confirmation of orders, the two troopers fell in line with Tarkin as he resumed his powerwalk to hanger bay eight.

A few moments later, as well as a few stumbles as the station began to shudder more frequently from the destabilised crystal, Tarkin found himself in hanger bay eight.

Only to witness his personal ship leaving without him.

"Damn it Jerjerrod!" Tarkin snarled, anger flooding his body. Jerjerrod would most certainly pay this for.

However, at that moment Tarkin had bigger concerns. Luckily, he knew of one person who would help him. He'd have a ship arrive in no time.

Turning to his deathtrooper escort, Tarkin spoke.

"Get me Grand Admiral Thrawn!"

****************************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn watched as every single display on the Chimaera's bridge lit up. Officers were dashing around frantically, all reporting the same thing.

There had been a massive power surge at the heart of the Death Star.

Inwardly, Thrawn smirked. Tano and her team had succeeded. The station would soon be history.

He cared little if they escaped or not. Right now, he had another goal in mind.

The Chimaera's engines and hyperdrive were back online, and he had already given coordinates for a destination himself.

However, he had no intention of leaving yet.

Not until the last possible second.

Not until he had completed one final task.

And then, the call came.

"Grand Admiral, Grand Moff Tarkin is contacting you. Should I put him through?"

This time, Thrawn did smirk.

"Yes officer. Put him through."

************************************************************************************************************************************

Tarkin nearly breathed a sigh of relief when a hologram of Thrawn appeared before him on the small projector device he held.

"Grand Moff Tarkin. Do you require my assistance with a matter?" Thrawn spoke, his voice deceptively calm.

Tarkin hated asking for help, much less asking for Thrawn to help him. But right now he was in a predicament, and the Chiss was his best solution.

"Grand Admiral, the station is going critical. I am without a ship to escape thanks to Jerjerrod. I need you to send a shuttle to hanger bay eight immediately."

Thrawn's facial expression did not change. It did not display fear, or concern or even worry.

Instead, it was complacent, even for him.

Something wasn't right.

"I apologise Grand Moff, but my supply of shuttles has been damaged. I cannot extract you."

Tarkin felt a chill go down his spine. He could have sworn he heard satisfaction in Thrawn's voice.

"Then order another vessel to send a shuttle. That is an order Grand Admiral!" Tarkin spat, his annoyance growing. He was running out of time.

"The station is too unstable Grand Moff. Power readings are off the charts. Any attempt at rescue will be futile." Thrawn replied again, his voice still calm.

"Thrawn, I order you to extract me!" Tarkin shouted this time, losing his cool at the collected Grand Admiral.

But Thrawn did not budge. He did not flinch at the sight of Tarkin angry, as so many others did.

Instead, he blinked once and then spoke.

"Goodbye Grand Moff Tarkin. Your sacrifice will be remembered."

And then the holocron of Thrawn disappeared, leaving Tarkin in silence.

From beside him, one of his deathtrooper escorts spoke.

"It would appear that the Grand Admiral disconnected the channel sir."

And with that, Tarkin released a rare scream of fury.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Thrawn had already moved away from the holoprojection of Tarkin as it was fading. His fate was now in his hands, and his alone. Thrawn certainly didn't want to save him, not if he was able to pull of his own plan. If Tarkin did indeed escape, Thrawn would deal with him another way.

For now, he had other issues to deal with. He had sent an encrypted message to Rae Sloane, who had recieved and replied with speed, agreeing to meet with him and discuss his plans. He had also sent a private message to his own personal agent Rukh, detailing everything Thrawn had discovered, and requesting his help with the matter. Rukh too had agreed to meet with him, agreeing that the safety of the galaxy and all it's inhabitants come first.

Moving over to where Yularen stood near the navigation terminal, Thrawn nodded, signalling that Tarkin had been dealt with, to which Yularen simply nodded back in understanding. Neither could speak aloud, for risk of revealing their planned betrayal.

Instead, Yularen chose to bring up a different subject.

"Where exactly are you taking us again? I don't recognize the coordinates you inputted."

Yularen was speaking of the destination set in the hyperdrive coordinates. Thrawn had put them there himself, being the only person on the Chimaera that knew them.

Hopefully there he would be able to find what he needed.

Medical aid for Pryce.

Ship repair for the Chimaera.

And allies to help him stop 'Operation Cinder'.

He had not been back for many many years. Exile had been a test, meant for him to prove his worth, whilst simultaneously gather intelligence on the galaxy as a whole, so that they could find their place in it. So that they could find out what threatened them.

And now, Thrawn had discovered something dangerous. Something that threatened the existence of everything.

Palpatine and the empire had been one thing. And it was clear that the empire would keep going. There would always be radicals that tried to control the galaxy through fear and weapons of mass destruction.

And wherever they went, Thrawn would be there.

Turning his head to Yularen, Thrawn answered with only one word.

"Home."

And then the Chiss gave the command the jump to hyperspace.

Turning to look out of the window of the bridge of the Chimaera, Thrawn took one last look at the monstrosity that was the Death Star. Small scale explosions lanced through the exterior as sections of the station buckled under the strain of whatever was going on inside.

It would only be a matter of a few minutes, and Thrawn could wait no longer.

Turning to his navigation officer, Thrawn gave the command.

"Jump to hyperspace."

The officer saluted, as did as he was told.

Moments later, the view of the crumbling Death Star vanished, replaced by the soothing blue vortex of hyperspace.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Sidious had exploded, something that had surprised Ahsoka. Even to his last breath, the Sith Lord had some sort of devious trick up his sleeve.

The explosion wasn't all that dangerous however. In fact, it acted more as a discharging of electrical energy, briefly zapping those who were closest.

But Maul hadn't moved. He had taken the brunt of the shock, ignoring the damage. He was clearly too consumed with his rage to have even noticed it.

There was nothing left of Sidious. The old man had seemingly disappeared during the explosion. Reaching into the force, Ahsoka was happy to discover that his dark foreboding presence that had lurked over her was gone. He was dead, that much was clear.

Maul seemed to break out of his rage for a second, moving over to Sidious' throne, before picking up the Sith holocron and placing it in a pouch he had.

"Well, that was easy." Kanan's sarcastic quip came from beside Ahsoka, and the Togruta turned to see him walking towards her, her lightsaber hilts in his hands.

She took the offered hilts, placing them back where she kept them, before turning back to Maul, who was now helping a limping Obi-Wan.

Again, Ahsoka did not point out the irony of the situation.

Then, her comm link flared to life.

"Commander Tano, come in? Do you read me Commander? Ahsoka?"

Rex's voice was a welcome one, and one she had sorely missed during her fight with Sidious.

"We're here Rex. I take it the station is about to blow?" Ahsoka replied, supressing the happiness in her voice.

"The crystal is destabilised commander. My team is on its way back to the Ghost. We have Professor Galen Erso with us. I suggest you hurry. We don't have long." Rex replied, his voice briefly covered by the sound of blaster fire.

"Copy that Rex, we are on our way." Ahsoka replied before disconnecting the channel.

"You heard him. Let's get out of here." Ahsoka spoke, gesturing back to the turbolift they had used to gain entry. All they had to do was retrace their steps.

The team broke into a run, despite the various injuries they had sustained. Ahsoka's back still felt like it was on fire, and her knee burned badly, but she wasn't about to give up now.

As they neared the elevator however, Ahsoka halted. Something caught her eye, right in the corner.

Turning back around, Ahsoka found her eyes locked on the unconscious form of the Eighth Brother. He hadn't gotten back up since he had saved her, but through the force she could tell he was still alive.

Wasting no time, she moved over to his prone form, and with what strength she had left, lifted him up over her shoulder, before heading towards the elevator.

As she approached, she saw the concerned look on Maul's face, but she quickly ignored it.

She had left the Inquisitor behind on Malachor before. She wouldn't leave him to die this time.

Entering into the tight space of the turbolift, Kanan hit the console that controlled it, and the doors closed.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Turbolifts were fast, hence the name, and within seconds, Ahsoka and her team found themselves stepping back out of the lift on the floor they had originally entered it.

From there, it was a short trip back the way they had come to the hanger bay where Hera should be of been waiting.

All around them, sirens blared, and the station shook, clear evidence of what was happening.

Adding to the chaos, various imperial officers appeared to be running around the corridors, now ignoring the team of rebels for the sake of their own safety.

Not that Ahsoka minded. Right now all she wanted to do was escape, much like they did.

They were of no threat to her and the team now.

Taking point, the Eighth Brother still on her shoulder, Ahsoka began to run down the hallway they had come from, her team right behind her. Maul supported Obi-Wan the entire way, with Kanan watching their flank should any imperial get an idea to attack them.

They moved with speed despite the situation. All around them the wall began to buckle. Creaks of metal could be heard, and small explosions rocked the hallways.

Metal beams came down, crashing onto various troopers and pinning them down until they could be saved. Sparks flew everywhere as control panels overloaded.

They passed through the cargo storage area where they had previously fought off Saxon's supercommandos. Ahsoka briefly caught a glimpse of Saw's lifeless body, before continuing to push forward, determined to escape, and determined to make his sacrifice worth something.

They passed through another doorway, and dashed through a series of hallways, encountering a squad of Stormtroopers that decided to attack them along the way.

They were promptly disposed of by Kanan, who knocked them to the ground with a sharp force push, before regrouping with the others.

And then they reached the doorway to the hanger bay they were headed for.

Whatever had happened with the kyber crystal had clearly fried and bypassed all safety and security procedures on the station. Every door they had passed through had been jammed open, allowing easy access.

The hanger bay one was the same, already open and waiting for them.

And there, in the centre of the hanger bay was a glorious sight.

The Ghost.

Ahsoka allowed a bright smile to come to her face as she saw the ship. The rear ramp was open, and Rex was present and waiting, blasters in hand, fighting off a group of Stormtroopers who were clearly trying to stop the rebels escaping.

"Here, take him, and get Hera to take off. I'll catch up." Ahsoka spoke, handing the unconscious Inquisitor to Kanan, before igniting her sabers and dashing in to flank the Stormtroopers.

Maul, Kenobi and Kanan did as they were told, making a beeline for the Ghost whilst Ahsoka moved to engage the remaining Stormtroopers. Her white blades moved in arcs as she deflected oncoming fire, buying the others time to get aboard the ship.

Moments later, the team was aboard, apart from her.

Breaking off from combat Ahsoka began to sprint towards the Ghost, which was now beginning to take off. The back ramp was still down, and Rex waited for her, hand outstretched.

All around her, Ahsoka could feel the station crumbling. Through the force she could feel a build-up of energy, no doubt from the unstable kyber crystal.

It would be a matter of moments.

Vaulting up onto a crate, Ahsoka sprinted and jumped, using the force to augment her weary body.

She sailed through the air towards the back ramp of the suspended Ghost, landing on the edge of the ramp narrowly, grasping Rex's hand in hers.

The old clone released a laugh, one that was clearly of relief, before pulling her inside the ship.

Turning back around the look out over the hanger bay, Ahsoka briefly saw a familiar face looking mortified at her.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Tarkin had opted for another plan. There was a second hanger bay close to where he had been abandoned by both Thrawn and Jerjerrod. So he and his deathtroopers had made a beeline for that.

For once he ran, forgetting about his image. This was dire, and his image wouldn't matter if he was dead.

But upon arriving in the hanger bay, Tarkin had discovered only one ship present.

The rebel freighter known as the Ghost.

And there, jumping towards the back ramp was a very familiar Togruta.

Tarkin could not say anything, not as the Togruta woman turned around from her position on the ramp and locked eyes with him, before throwing a sarcastic salute his way.

The back ramp closed in that instant, and in the blink of an eye, the Ghost disappeared through the shield that led to space, escaping.

And then an explosion flooded the hanger bay.

Tarkin was knocked off his feet, landing on his back looking up at the ceiling.

A ceiling that was now crashing down upon him at frightful speed.

Tarkin barely had time to scream before he was buried under various pieces of metal.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka didn't waste any time speaking to her team members. She headed straight for the cockpit.

And when she arrived, she saw Hera, always calm and collected, despite the situation.

Glancing out the window of the Ghost, Ahsoka spotted various imperial Star Destroyers jumping to hyperspace, no doubt intending on escaping the blast radius.

"Chimaera's already gone. Guess Thrawn repaired her somehow." Hera spoke simply as Ahsoka took the co-pilot seat.

Ahsoka filed the information away for later. Thrawn would no doubt be a problem one day, but right now she had bigger issues.

Or more like Hera did.

But Ahsoka trusted Hera. She would get them out of the blast radius.

Ahsoka watched as the Twi-lek woman expertly piloted the Ghost, evading various bits of debris that were coming off of the battle station behind them.

"CHOPPER, GET US OUT OF HERE!" Hera called aloud to the astromech who was plugged into the terminal nearby. The droid released a series of beeps as normal, complying with the order.

Ahsoka felt a rush of power run through the systems on the Ghost, as various consoles lit up.

And then, out of the window of the Ghost's cockpit, she saw a wonderful sight.

Hyperspace.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

They had only been in hyperspace for roughly ten minutes, but it already felt like hours.

The team was taking stock of the situation that had occurred.

They had succeeded. They had destroyed the station. They had assassinated the Emperor.

But they had lost people.

'Yoda, Ryder, Wolffe, Saw.'

The names kept going through Ahsoka's mind. None of them deserved to die, yet each of them had sacrificed themselves for her mission.

Just as Sidious had said.

There was little she could do now but honour their sacrifices.

Groaning lightly, Ahsoka glanced down at the wound on her knee. It was patched for the time being, a bacta patch being placed upon it. It wouldn't leave any lasting damage, except for a scar, and a slight limp in the meantime.

The other members of the team were also off patching their wounds. The hyperspace trip to Raada would take a while, but Ahsoka was looking forward to getting her boots back on solid ground.

As of right now however, she found herself alone in one of the side rooms, perched on the edge of a meditation chair Kanan had had installed.

And then the door opened, and the familiar shape of Maul walked in, medical supplies in his arms.

"Take your top off."

Ahsoka couldn't help but splutter out loud at Maul's request. What was he up to?

"Excuse me?!" She couldn't help the horror in her tone.

Rather than react in an abashed way, the Zabrak merely rolled his eyes and approached.

"Oh grow up. I need to look at your back."

Normally, such a situation would lead to further embarrassment. But from Maul's tone, whatever it was he wanted to look at was serious.

Standing from her position, her knee aching in the process, Ahsoka turned her back to Maul and began to remove her chest piece.

A dark thin burn mark scorched the chest piece from side to side from where Sidious had landed his blow on her.

'Just a few inches from death.' Ahsoka thought as she removed the chest piece, placing it on the chair she had been on.

"What exactly are you looking to find Maul?" Ahsoka inquired. She wanted to know what she was in for before she proceeded any further.

"Sidious' lightning is powerful, and you were hit with a lot of it. I too have been subjected to such power before, and it can leave nasty burns that if not properly treated will become infected. I am here to treat them, as I have done to myself before."

Her back did still feel like it was on fire, yet Ahsoka had kept that secret. She didn't need people fussing over her because of a few burns, no matter how badly they hurt.

But Maul had clearly sensed her pain through their bond, and had taken it upon himself to help her.

"Alright Maul. I trust you." Ahsoka spoke, removing the top half of her outfit in the process, exposing the skin of her back to Maul.

"Good. Now hold still. This might sting a bit."

Maul wasn't kidding.

Whilst she couldn't see what Maul was doing, she did feel it. His hand pressed against her back and began to rub some sort of gel into her skin.

"Argh, kriffing hell!" Ahsoka snapped as her skin began to sting, clear evidence that whatever Maul was rubbing into her back was doing something.

"I did warn you." The Zabrak replied, humour in his tone as he continued his application of the gel.

Maul continued his 'treatment' for a few more moments before he spoke.

"This gel should help soothe the pain somewhat, and prevent any itchiness. However nothing can be done for the scarring I'm afraid."

Ahsoka's eyes widen at the mention of scarring. She was not a vain person. She didn't care about looks or whatever.

But from the way Maul had mentioned them, it sounded bad.

So she asked.

Maul didn't reply for a second, his hands ceasing their movement, before leaving her back completely.

"Bad Lady Tano, very bad. The lightning has scarred your back in its image. It may fade in time, but no doubt you will have the markings for the rest of your life."

Maul's tone was somewhat dejected, and Ahsoka was grateful. No doubt she would get a look at them later.

"Thanks for your help Maul. Do you need anything doing with your horns? A band aid perhaps?" Ahsoka replied, jest in her questioning.

Maul chuckled, a rare sound from him.

"The horns are merely cosmetic, unlike your montrals. No medical attention is needed for them. My cybernetics however are playing up." The Zabrak spoke as he moved away from Ahsoka, allowing her to replace her top.

"Perhaps Chopper can help you there?" Ahsoka retorted again, a smirk on her face as she turned to face the Zabrak, who groaned dramatically at the mention of the droid. Ahsoka almost mistook the look in his eyes for fear.

As Maul moved to leave the room, the door opened, and Rex stood, helmet off.

The clone shifted his hazel eyes to Ahsoka's blue ones, a serious look in them.

Then he spoke.

"Our guest is awake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is with great happiness that I say... no more character death from this point onwards. Yay! I know some of your were either expecting/wanted a bloodbath like Rogue One, but I opted against it. That being said, I sis have a 'bad ending' planned as well where only Kanan, Hera, Kallus and Maul got away, and Ahsoka fell to the darkside and became Sidious' apprentice. As you can see, I went against it. :)
> 
> In Memorium: Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious
> 
> Someone had to be the big bad in this AU. And with Vader dead and Thrawn becoming more of a decent guy though this story, Sidious remained where he was, and naturally, as most stories end, the big bad had to fall. It just made sense to have Maul deliver the killing blow. I tried to keep him as in character as possible, making him overpowered, whilst at the same time making it so they could feasibly defeat him. The idea to use Vader's kyber crystal as the central reason for his downfall was one of many ideas I had, and it was the one that I felt fitted the story the best, especially considering this story's focus on kyber crystals in general.
> 
> So, bye bye Sidious. You were a master manipulator, and I am sure your legacy will long be remembered.
> 
> In Memorium: Wilhuff Tarkin
> 
> It is with great regret that we bid farwell to everyones favourite...
> 
> NO!
> 
> I can't do it. Not like this. Let me start again.
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> In this chapter we bid good ridance to scumbag Tarkin, who is a horrible piece of bantha poodoo who honestly deserved worse. At least with Palpy and vader you can say they are evil because they are Sith. Tarkin gets no such excuse. He is evil because he is a (insert insult here)
> 
> All jokes aside, Tarkin is a compelling character, one that, like Vader, it is always great to see. But his death was as ineviatable as Krennics was in this AU. Hope you like how he went out.
> 
> So anyway, back to my thoughts about this chapter. It was a tricky one to write, and in the end I just sort of threw caution to the wind and wrote a sort of escape scene. I know it is somewhat rushed, but the true focus of this chapter is Thrawn.
> 
> Speaking of our favourite Chiss, this is the last you will see of him in this story. He will not appear anymore. I really hope you liked his story arc in this one, and that it leaves it open enough for his parts in the one shots that will come.
> 
> The only other thing I want to address regarding this chapter is the injury that Ahsoka has sustained. I wanted her scarring in some form, but without chopping off a limb. So i decided on having her back badly scarred by Sidious' lightning. For those who wish to know my point of reference for this, I used knowledge and pictures of what happens to some people when struck by lightning in real life. If you want to see what I mean, do a search engine search (what you use) for lightning scars, or Lichtenberg figures if you want the scientific name.
> 
> So now, a status update for what is to come. Next chapter will feature a double upload, so two chapters for the price of one, so keep an eye out for that. They will consist of the epilogue, which wraps together everything important that is left, as well as my normal author's thoughts section and analysis of any reviews this chapter gets, and then the second chapter uploaded will be a post epilogue one year later chapter containing something I'm sure you will all want to see. And then, the story will be done. Yay!
> 
> However, there will then be one more update which will not be a story chapter, but instead will be an author retrospective of this AU series as a whole, where I talk about my favourite bits and vice versa, as well as give a retrospective on the key players if this AU. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. Not everyone enjoys overly long author written sections, but I thought that some would like to see it, and I lets me send this AU off in a way that lets me feel like it is complete.
> 
> So yeah, next time round is the epilogue.


	44. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team arrives back from the suicide mission,  
> And farewells are had and said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, remember this is a double upload, so check the next chapter for the post epilogue scene. Just thought I should remind you all. :)  
> Anyway, onwards with the epilogue!

The Ghost didn't possess a brig, so Ahsoka had been forced to place her 'guest' into one of the side rooms that was usually reserved for the crew as sleeping quarters.

Stepping through the doorway, Ahsoka allowed her eyes to adjust to the light. It was dark inside. Ahsoka was only just able to make out the outlines of various shapes.

And then a colour appeared before her. Two bright gold orbs flared to life in the centre of the room. A brief chill brushed up against Ahsoka for a minute as her eyes locked onto the gold orbs.

It felt almost as if they were watching her.

Perhaps that was because they were.

"Why?"

That was all he said. The Eighth Brother made no move to stand, made no move to attack.

He just sat there in the darkness, watching her.

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders before replying.

"Why not?" She replied, watching the Terrelian. He was without his helmet again, removed by Ahsoka when he had been unconscious. In that time she had dressed his wound with bacta, and placed a pair of force restraining cuffs on his wrists that Hera possessed for some reason.

Ahsoka had a sneaky suspicion why she had them, but she wouldn't question.

The Eighth Brother scoffed at her response, fidgeting in his place before flinching slightly, his healthy hand coming to rest on the bandage that covered his stump.

"I tried my best to dress the wound, but I've no real experience with such injuries. At least not fresh ones anyway." Ahsoka spoke, her hand gesturing to the bandage.

"Why?" The Eighth Brother inquired again, his golden eyes locking onto Ahsoka's blue ones.

It was a deep question, Ahsoka realised it. And to be truthful, she didn't really know the answer herself. She had chosen to save him in the heat of the moment. After all, he had saved her.

"I owed you one." She replied, trying her best not to reveal her doubt about her own actions. The Inquisitor had tried to kill them all. He had manipulated them all. She should have killed him, as she did Vader.

But instead, she had let him live.

"Liar. Just like Sidious!" The Inquisitor snarled again, his golden eyes blaring in anger. The Terrelian made to stand, before groaning aloud and sinking back into his seated position.

Moving with purpose, Ahsoka crouched opposite the Terrelian, her eyes never leaving his face.

"You called me out on leaving you behind on Malachor to die before. I said I would have saved you if I had known."

The Eighth Brother rolled his eyes as he heard her comment.

"I remember your comment. But the fact that you didn't is all the proof I need!" He answered back, averting her gaze.

But Ahsoka continued. "I know. That's why I saved you this time. To make amends for what I failed to do before. We don't have to be enemies."

The Terrelian's head snapped back around in an instant, his golden eyes peering at her with malice.

"Don't have to be enemies?! You murdered my siblings! You and Maul! And now you have the audacity to ask me to be your friend?! We have nothing in common Ahsoka Tano!"

Ahsoka had to flinch back from the outburst. The Inquisitor was angry, that much was clear, and no doubt it was only the force supressing hand cuffs that were keeping him from attacking her with the force.

The Togruta watched as the Terrelian sat there, breathing heavily and exerting rage. It poured off of him in vast amounts.

But she pressed forward.

"We are both former Jedi who sought a different path. We both wanted the Emperor dead. And now we are both free from his oppression." Ahsoka replied, keeping her voice calm and steady, trying her best to radiate trust and compassion to someone who for so very long had been driven by the desire for revenge. Perhaps, just perhaps she could get through to him, as she had done to Maul back on Tatooine.

But unlike Maul, it appeared the Eighth Brother was no so willing to listen to reason, as rather than take in her words, he lunged at her.

Ahsoka was forced to her feet in an instant, grasping hold of the Terrelian as he attempted to assault her, before forcing him back onto the floor with a light shove.

The Eighth Brother however tried again, jumping back to his feet and charging Ahsoka with a feral look in his eyes.

And once again, Ahsoka countered, restraining the Inquisitor, and forcing him back onto the floor.

This time he stayed down.

"I don't expect us to be friends. I'm not even asking. All I am offering is another path. One where you can be your own person." Ahsoka spoke, no animosity in her voice, despite his attempts to assault her.

Besides, even if he made it past her, Rex was waiting outside.

The Eighth Brother chuckled this time at Ahsoka's offer, his unmodulated laugh coming across as sarcastic and openly mocking.

"What, and be forced to spend the rest of my days following you around like some sort of lapdog like the Zabrak? Please, I have more self-respect than to become your pet!"

She expected a negative response. Perhaps she had not worded her offer as well as she could have. She wasn't Obi-Wan after all.

But the way the Eighth Brother spoke, the way he degraded Maul was if he was some sort of servant indentured to her irked her. Maul was his own person. He could do as he wished. She was just there to keep him stable, just as he was with her.

'But does he know that? Or is he staying because he feels he has to?'

Ahsoka's mind went into overdrive contemplating the Zabrak.

It wasn't just him. The entire team came along on this mission because she asked, and some of them had not made them back.

Did they accept because they felt they had to?

"Ooh that look in your eyes? What is that? Realization? Guilt? Perhaps now you realize just what you have become." The Eighth Brother's voice hit her montrals again, a dark edge in his tone that ripped straight to her core.

What had she become? That was a good question. In the space of a single year she had been the priority target of the entirety of the empire. Thrawn had been sent to hunt her of all people.

And by becoming such a target, she had placed great risk on all of her friends.

'I became too big!' Ahsoka realized. She had drawn too much attention to herself, both from the empire and the rebellion.

She still had to deal with the outstanding order from Mothma and Draven to assassinate her.

'Or do I?' A voice muttered in her head briefly, one that was her own, but with a more rebellious streak to it.

Her attention was snapped back to the Inquisitor before her. The Terrelian began to chuckle again, before his face took on a serious look.

"So, what happens to me now? Going to airlock me since I won't be your pet?"

That would be a pointless exercise, Ahsoka knew. After going through the trouble to drag him out of the collapsing battle station there was no way she was going to kill him.

"No, I'm not going to kill you. And since you won't accept my offer of help, you leave me with only one option."

The Inquisitor nodded his head, a small yet resigned smile coming to his face.

"Let me guess. Hand me over to your rebel leaders. Let them decide my fate. You realize they will have me executed."

Ahsoka closed her eyes briefly, taking a breath to regain herself. Her back was aching again, and she was feeling weary from the mission. She needed rest, preferably before they got back to Raada.

"If you cooperate, they'll let you live. You are a valuable source of information pertaining to whatever the Emperor has been doing as of late, and I know that you will want to do anything in your power the halt his plans." Ahsoka replied, her mind made up. He was no longer her concern.

And the Inquisitor seemed to accept it.

"Very well. I go to meet my fate then, regardless of what it might be."

And with that, the conversation appeared to be over. Whatever Ahsoka had hoped for when coming into the room seemed trivial now. The Eighth Brother had chosen his path, and he was adamant that he stick to it.

So she would let him. After all, she was not his warden.

Turning her back on the Terrelian Jango Jumper, she began to move towards the door, opening it with a touch on the panel next to the frame. The door slid open, and Rex turned around to greet her.

Just as she passed through the threshold of the doorway, she heard the Eighth Brother speak.

"'He' wouldn't have let me live."

Ahsoka turned in time to lock eyes with the Terrelian one last time, the gold colour being burned into her memory, before the door slid shut.

She stayed staring at the door for a few seconds, contemplating the Eighth Brother, before nodding to Rex and moving off down the corridor of the Ghost.

She was in need of rest. Some sleep would do her good.

************************************************************************************************************************

Hours had passed by. Far too many for Kaeden Larte to count.

'What if they fail?'

'What if they all die?'

'What if she doesn't come back?'

'What if…?'

Question upon question upon question reigned terror through Kaeden's head. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't help herself.

When Ahsoka had departed, she had done her best to keep herself distracted. Taking her ship, she had flown across Raada, revisiting old memories.

As well as the final resting place of her and Miara's parents.

Miara had opted not to come along. She grieved differently to Kaeden, and she knew that. The two sisters had an understanding when it came to their parents.

And when Kaeden had felt like she had spent enough time at the graves of her parents, she headed back to wait with the others.

And so they waited, and waited.

And waited for seemed like an eternity.

Even K-2SO was growing restless, powering himself on and off every five minutes asking if the team was back yet.

After the seventh time her had done it, Cassian had shut him down remotely, disabling his ability to power himself back up.

It was now growing close to night. The sun was setting over Raada, giving off a beautiful sunset that Kaeden wished the others could see.

She sat outside the cave, along with Miara and Cassian, hoping.

And then, reward.

"Look, up there! It's the Ghost!" Miara called out, her hands pointing wildly into the sky as the ship began to descend towards them.

Relief should have flowed through Kaeden, and it did in a way. Clearly there was some measure of success to the mission.

But Kaeden knew she couldn't relax until she saw Ahsoka.

Waiting with bated breath, Kaeden watched as the Ghost landed before them, in amongst the other assembled ships the team members had brought along.

The Ghost settled on the plains of Raada, powering down its engines and coming to a stop. From where she was standing, Kaeden could see that the Ghost had taken some external damage from a fight, clear evidence of how dangerous the mission had been.

And then, the back ramp descended, and boots could be heard coming down it.

Or more like running down it.

"Oh solid ground, how I have missed you. Have you missed Hondo as much as he has missed you?"

The Weequay known as Hondo was the first down the ramp, falling to his knees amidst the blades of grass that covered the area, bending down to kiss at the floor with a bizarre grace. Kaeden could tell he was eccentric, but this was going to the extreme.

Next down the ramp were the three Mandalorians, with Sabine being supported by Ezra. Her armour was burned, and she was clearly in pain.

But they were alive. That was what mattered.

Kallus was down the ramp next, leading a group of Wookiees that Kaeden assumed they had rescued over the course of the mission. The former imperial ISB agent moved over to Cassian, shaking hands with the man and beginning to talk in hushed tones about something. Kaeden overheard the word 'Wookiee' in the process, so clearly it had something to do with them.

Hera and Kanan appeared next, followed briefly by Zeb, AP-5, Cham and Chopper, who as expected was beeping profanities about the mission.

It was nice to see that Chopper was still his normal self.

'Where is Ahsoka? Is she ok?' Kaeden's inner voice muttered, her concern growing. She knew it was a very real possibility that Ahsoka wasn't coming back. But surely, just this once, things would go her way.

Then came the clones, but only two of them. Kaeden could only assume that meant the worst.

But right now, her concern was elsewhere.

A figure she did not recognize was being escorted by the clones. He wore cracked grey armour, and possessed bright golden eyes much like Maul did.

In fact, he reminded her of the monster that had attacked and tortured her on Raada all those years ago.

An Inquisitor!

Fear shot through her for a brief moment, before realizing he was wearing cuffs. Hopefully that meant that he was restrained.

More footsteps could be heard coming down the ramp this time.

Shifting her gaze, Kaeden spotted two of the Jedi coming down the ramp, supporting one another as they walked.

It took her a second to realize that the little green one, Yoda, she believed he was called, was not with them.

Another loss no doubt.

Sighing, she looked back at the ramp again to spot Maul walking down the ramp, escorting another unknown individual.

The unknown seemed to be talking about something, but Maul seemed to be ignoring him to the best of his ability. Suddenly, the Zabrak's eyes locked onto Kaeden's, and a rare smile, came to his face, even if he tried his best to conceal it. Maul gestured with his head back to the ramp of the Ghost, clearing indicating something.

Following the gesture, Kaeden couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

There, standing at the bottom of the ramp was Ahsoka. She looked tired and hurt, but alive and in one piece.

Abandoning all pretences of a calm and collected reunion, Kaeden broke out into a sprint towards the Togruta, wrapping her arms around Ahsoka in a tight embrace, squeezing her to make sure she was real, and not a figment of her imagination.

"Ah, careful Kaeden!" Ahsoka hissed out uncomfortably, as Kaeden embraced her. Concern flooded through Kaeden due to Ahsoka's pained gasp, and she began to pull out of the embrace to allow Ahsoka to breathe.

Except the Togruta didn't let her. Ahsoka wrapped her own arms around Kaeden, pulling her gently back into an embrace.

Kaeden didn't complain. She simply enjoyed the moment for what it was.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

After a series of reunions later, as well as a period of mourning for the lost, the team had retreated inside the cave network for the night. As they sat down where they all had previously, the story began.

Kaeden, Miara and Cassian, as well as a newly reactivated K-2 listened intently as the various team members reiterated what had happened.

Ezra spoke of his mission through the ventilations ducts, whilst Rex spoke of leading one half of the rebel team.

Hondo came out with a bizarre and harrowing story featuring buzz droids attacking him. During his recounting however, he suddenly became solemn, his gaze momentarily shifting over to Rex and Gregor, as if remembering something with great shame.

Tristan spoke of a duel he had with another Mandalorian, as well as an expected betrayal from the Mandalorian governor.

Hardly anyone spoke of the deaths that had clearly occurred. But their lack of presence was felt.

And clearly Ahsoka was feeling the losses. She had yet to say a word. Instead, she looked despondent and agitated.

But she had yet to leave Kaeden's side. The Togruta had practically stayed glued to her, not that Kaeden minded. Though it did leave cause her some concern.

"So then we split up. Ahsoka went to face the Emperor with Maul, Obi-Wan and Kanan, whilst the rest of us went to destroy the kyber crystal." Sabine retold the next part of the tale, detailing the conflicts they had encountered on the way.

Galen Erso picked up the next part, explaining how he was behind the projects development in the first place. And now he was part of the solution.

And then, when that part of the story was finished, Cassian asked the one question that everyone wanted the answer to.

"So, how exactly did you defeat the Emperor? I don't imagine he was a pushover."

A small snicker could be heard from the shadows where the Inquisitor had been placed. No one paid him any attention, instead, their heads all turned to Ahsoka.

The Togruta didn't realize at first that everyone was staring at her, not until Kaeden gently nudged her in the side, earning another wince of pain and an annoyed look.

Kaeden merely smiled back at her sheepishly, before gesturing with her head to the others.

Ahsoka glanced out over the assembled team before speaking.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I was asking how you defeated Palpatine." Cassian reiterated, his tone cautious and full of worry.

"I'm quite keen on knowing myself. He had you beat Lady Tano." Maul spoke, confusion in his tone. Clearly the defeat of Sidious had been a surprise even to the Zabrak.

Ahsoka thought back to the duel, to what had happened.

It was true. There was no way she could have beaten Sidious by herself. Even with the help of the others, she had struggled immensely.

And he had beaten her. Another few seconds and she would have been dead to rights.

But then, the force had intervened.

Leaning forward in her seat, Ahsoka began to speak, trying her best to explain what exactly had happened. Truthfully, she didn't fully understand it herself. It was as if all the pieces of a Dejarik game had been in the right place at the right time.

"It wasn't me that beat him, not really anyway. I was just the physical entity for which the force acted. Yoda helped me from beyond the grave, offering his support in my time of need, as did the presence in the Sith holocron. Together, they gave me balance in the force, power enough to withstand Sidious."

Obi-Wan's eyes widen at the mention of Yoda, as if he knew something the others didn't. Ahsoka would have to inquire about it later.

"So what, the two of them together helped you overpower Sidious?" Vos inquired, fascination in his voice.

Ahsoka shook her head gently, reaching down to take what looked like a lightsaber hilt off her belt, before placing it on the ground in front of her.

"No. Those two certainly helped. But it was this that acted as the game changer."

Confused expressions came to everyone's faces.

"Sidious' lightsaber? How did that help you?" Maul questioned, moving closer to inspect the hilt.

Ahsoka shook her head again, before delving into the force, and separating the various components that made up the hilt. As the weapon began to come apart, Ahsoka focused on extracting the crystal within. As she did, the rest of the metal components that made up the hilt fell to the floor, until it was just a small crimson crystal that floated around.

"A kyber crystal?" Sabine inquired, equally confused.

This time Ahsoka nodded her head. "Yes, but this kyber crystal did not belong to Sidious. It belonged to Vader."

Ahsoka spotted the various shudders at the mention of the deceased Sith Lord's name. She no longer had that reaction. She was past that.

"How did that help you?" Kanan inquired, voicing the question of everyone.

Ahsoka glanced at the crystal again, trying to listen to it in the force, hoping beyond hope that she would hear Anakin's voice again.

But there was nothing. The crystal was inert now. It didn't pulse with energy, or radiate any signature in the force.

It was simply dead.

"From what I can piece together, when Vader corrupted the crystal he used to make his lightsaber, he subconsciously placed a piece of Anakin Skywalker into it. During my duel with Sidious, the crystal evidently felt my pain from his attacks, and somehow that awakened the dormant piece of Anakin within the crystal. From that point onwards, the crystal's allegiance was to me, not Sidious. Whatever remnant existed within the crystal offered its power to me, just as Yoda and the Sith holocron were doing. Those factors combined allowed me to overpower him just for a second."

The looks of wonder that went across the faces of her friends would have flattered a younger Ahsoka, when she dreamed of being a hero to the people.

Now however, she wished they wouldn't act like she was some sort of hero.

"So it was Anakin that helped you. I'm not surprised. He was overly protective of you. Makes sense that would translate to Vader as well." Obi-Wan said, his voice nostalgic, remembering his old padawan.

"For a split second yes, Anakin was back. In a way, he finally fulfilled his 'chosen one' prophecy, albeit it in a roundabout way." Ahsoka replied, a small sad smile on her face as she remembered her old master.

A peaceful silence flooded the cave. Each surviving team member contemplated the day they had just experienced.

The truth was that they had scored a major victory, but it was unlikely that the empire would be defeated overnight.

Sidious had clearly possessed some sort of back-up plan, one that would have to be stopped in due haste.

But for now, the team rested, enjoying each other's company for one night.

After all, they had earned it.

******************************************************************************************************************************

Morning came around quickly, but Ahsoka did not mind.

She felt refreshed and ready, if not aching somewhat from her injuries.

Beside her, Kaeden was still asleep, a peaceful look on her face.

It was strange. Ahsoka had never once considered a relationship with anyone. In her mind, she was always too busy to commit.

But now, as she looked down at the sleeping form of Kaeden, Ahsoka couldn't help but feel somewhat at peace.

Perhaps, after all these years, and all the chaos and despair she had endured, maybe, just maybe, she was ready to take a risk and be selfish.

Just once. Surely no one would begrudge her that?

Rising from her position on the floor, Ahsoka noted that the cave was mostly desolate now. The Eighth Brother was still present, clearly asleep from the looks of him. Ahsoka wasn't sure what was going to happen next to him, only that Hera and the others intended on taking him to rebel command on Yavin Four.

Yavin Four. That was another outstanding issue she had. Rebel high command had tried to assassinate her, just as the Jedi Order and the Republic once had. They had betrayed her trust after everything she had done for them.

But sooner or later, she would have to face them. The question was when?

And on what terms?

Shaking the issue out of her mind for the meantime, Ahsoka began to leave the cave, stepping out into the sunlight that bathed the plains of Raada.

There, she saw her team, hard at work doing various jobs.

The crew of the Ghost, along with Rex, Gregor and Kallus were hard at work repairing the Ghost's external damage. The ship had taken a serious beating during the mission, but she was still operational, and Ahsoka knew that she would be back in action soon.

Ezra, who was hard at work running maintenance on the rooftop cannon, spotted Ahsoka and waved down at her, his trademark smirk on his face.

Ahsoka couldn't help but wave back up at the young man. He had come far in the short amount of time her had been with Kanan, and seen far too much for someone his age.

Much like she had.

Continuing to glance around, Ahsoka spotted the Wookiees talking amongst themselves. From the distance she was standing, Ahsoka couldn't figure out exactly what they were saying. Custos however did spot her, and nodded in the Togruta's direction before turning back to her surviving pack members.

Ahsoka was glad that they had been saved. No one deserved to be made a slave by the empire, especially not to build a doomsday weapon.

And then the relative silence of the morning was destroyed by the voice of Hondo Ohnaka.

"Well my friends it has been fun. Let me know when you need Hondo's help for another suicide mission. We all know that Hondo is vital to saving the day!"

Despite everything the pirate had done, Ahsoka couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the Weequay pirate shouldering a massive bag on his arm, one that was clearly overflowing with food, and other 'acquired goods'.

"Will do Hondo!" Ezra called from on-top the Ghost, before returning to his duty.

Hondo then turned to approach Ahsoka, holding his hand out to her in the process.

"I realize I wronged you in the past, and I know that I can never fully gain your forgiveness. But I just want to say thank you for this opportunity, and that I will remember those that we lost."

Ahsoka never expected such sincerity from Hondo of all people. Perhaps he was changing.

Reaching out to clasp his hand in hers, Ahsoka reciprocated the gesture from Hondo.

"Don't worry about it Hondo. You proved yourself today. I'm starting to wonder if you really are an uncaring pirate." Ahsoka replied with humour, one that caused the Weequay to adopt an offended expression, before regaining a friendly one.

"Careful now Ahsoka. I have a reputation to consider."

And with that, Hondo turned on his heel and began to make his way back to his ship.

Ahsoka doubted that would be the last she would see of him. No doubt he would be back someday, causing more trouble for everyone involved.

Shaking her head in good humour and anticipation of Hondo's next big adventure, Ahsoka turned around and went in search of Obi-Wan and Vos. She had a matter she wished to discuss with them.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka found them not far away, Vos inside of his Starfighter, playing around with various elements of the control panels, whilst Obi-Wan leaned over the side of the cockpit, listening intently to what sounded like a lesson from Vos in the art of customizing your fighter.

Ahsoka approached slowly, not wanting to disturb them if they were busy.

That was until Vos looked up and caught sight of her, a rogue smile coming to his face.

"Here she is, the hero of the hour and slayer of two Sith Lords. She's half you age Kenobi and she is already more notorious than you!"

Obi-Wan glanced over in her direction, his blue eyes filled with both concern, and annoyance at Vos' antics.

"I'm no hero Vos. I'm just doing what everyone would have." Ahsoka replied, stepping up to look over what the two Jedi were up to.

Vos' smile didn't vanish, despite Ahsoka's response. Instead, he returned to his work, flicking switches up and down and checking various readings to ensure his fighter was ready.

Then Obi-Wan spoke.

"I know why you're here Ahsoka. You want to know what I'm going to do about 'them?'"

The 'them' that Obi-Wan referred to was exactly what Ahsoka wanted to talk about. Without Vader and Sidious around, they were considerably safer, as were all others like them.

But the empire still poses a threat, and if left unchecked and untrained, who knew what might happen to them.

"Just do me a favour Obi-Wan. Tell them both the full truth about what happened. No more lies for the sake of personal opinion. And if you do intend on creating some sort of New Jedi Order, learn from the mistakes of the past. No taking children away from their family for good. Attachment is not a bad thing. Kanan and Hera are perfect examples of that."

Obi-Wan's face was a mix of conflict, and understanding. Conflict that went against the ideals he had been taught when he was a child, and understanding of where it had all gone wrong. Obi-Wan first-hand had seen the faults of the Jedi Order, and had seen what had happened because of it.

However, before he got a chance to reply, Vos perked up from his fighter.

"No problem kid. No stealing babies."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Vos' evident sarcastic and flippant response, before a small smile came to his face as he looked at his grandpadawan.

"You have grown far wiser than I have Ahsoka. I'm proud of you. Anakin and Padme would have been too. But this isn't something I can do alone. A New Jedi Order will need council members. You are more than qualified."

Ahsoka had anticipated this question. To be asked back into the Jedi Order in some way.

Part of her wanted to. The young naïve child she had been once had dreamed of becoming a respected council member. To lead and offer advice and wisdom to the many. To make her mark on the Jedi, and leave behind a legacy of someone who had helped.

But the truth was that she had spent far more time as a not-Jedi, rather than being one. And in doing so she had discovered that she was not one to follow rules or regulation. She would never willingly hurt or maim someone, but for her to be able to do good in the way she wanted, she couldn't be held down by rules that dictated her life, as the Jedi Order had preached.

And whilst Obi-Wan and Vos would no doubt change most of the issues she had with the code, the sting of betrayal would forever be in her heart. Ahsoka found that in good conscious, she could never go back to being a Jedi.

She was better how she was. In fact, she preferred it.

In a way, she was grateful to Anakin Skywalker for helping her to forge her own path through life with his unorthodox teaching methods. They had, after all, allowed her to survive.

So no, she wouldn't be returning to help rebuild the Jedi Order, much less take up a council position on it.

But she did have someone else in mind who was more than qualified.

"Sorry Obi-Wan, but my decision to leave is still my decision. I can't ever be a Jedi again, nor be on your council, no matter how much I wish I could be. I'll always be a friend to the Jedi, and be ready to help you should the need arise, but I'm not coming back. However, if I may, there is someone else who I think will be of great help to you. Kanan had more than proved himself in recent years, and he will be able to offer you a unique point of view that I lack. He would be far more help to your cause than I ever could be."

It was clear that bot Obi-Wan and Vos were upset with her decision not to join, judging from their despondent facial expressions. Ahsoka could only hope that in time they would accept her position.

"I understand Ahsoka. We treated you unfairly back then, and you have more than earned your freedom. We'll talk to Kanan. Hopefully he will lend us his support. As for the secret we have been keeping, I'll speak to them myself and give them a choice of their own." Obi-Wan replied after a few seconds of silence as he contemplated Ahsoka's decision.

Smiling at the older man, Ahsoka moved to embrace him one last time, before moving off towards the Ghost.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

A few moments later, she found herself inside the Ghost. She watched as the small family interacted with one another. Kanan and Hera sat together on the seating area around the Dejarik table, whilst Ezra stood in the centre, describing his duel with the Imperial Royal Guards.

Chopper and AP-5 stood off to the side, insulting one another as they tended to do.

Zeb and Sabine were also present. The resident Lasat was busy at another table, enjoying a meal he had clearly made for himself. If Ahsoka wasn't a carnivore, she would have quite happily sat down and enjoyed what looked to be waffles of some kind with the Lasat.

When the crew noticed Ahsoka's arrival, the discussion stopped, as if expecting orders of some-kind.

Instead, Ahsoka chose to take a seat next to Sabine, and gestured for Ezra to continue his tale.

A few more minutes later, and an incredibly over the top explanation, and the story was over. Zeb had disappeared to his quarters, no doubt for some rest, whilst Sabine and Ezra went back to their duties, despite the injuries the Mandalorian had sustained.

Chopper and AP-5 remained where they were, insulting one another back and forth, but otherwise mostly ignored.

So that just left Ahsoka with Hera and Kanan.

"So, what's next on our list of crazy things to do? Suicide mission to the galactic core? Travel to the unknown regions of space?" Kanan joked aloud, earning a small chuckle from Hera.

"Ah, I get the feeling you are going to be plenty busy soon Kanan." Ahsoka replied, a devious smirk on her face.

"What? Why? What have you done Ahsoka?" Kanan's response was a mixture of panic and surprise, clearly feeling Ahsoka's mischievousness through the force. She chose not to reply, instead shooting a smirk at Kanan, despite the fact he was not able to see it.

Then Hera spoke, her tone serious.

"You're not coming back with us are you?"

It was a loaded question, but one with a simple answer.

"I can't see how I can. Rebel command put out an assassination contract on me. They wanted to arrest all of you. If I go back, I put everyone around me in danger. For now, it's probably best I lay low. Besides, you are more than capable of looking after everything without me Hera." Ahsoka answered, her tone grim but compassionate.

Hera seemed to understand, as the Twi-lek nodded her head before rising to her feet and approaching the Togruta, pulling the older woman into a surprise hug.

"Don't worry about it Ahsoka. You may as well be family to us. We'll see you when you decide to come back."

Ahsoka was surprised at the statement. She had never considered herself as part of the family of the crew of the Ghost. She was an outsider after all, one who came along and often brought doom upon the team. Even Rex seemed to be closer to the crew than she.

But from the words of Hera, and the expression on Kanan's face, Ahsoka for once in her life felt welcome, as if she would have people she could trust for the rest of her life, even if she did drag them into impossible situations time and again.

Pulling out of the embrace, she turned and bowed to Kanan in a way Jedi of the republic would of. A brief look of surprise crossed Kanan's face before he mirrored her bow.

And with that, she turned and left the Ghost.

****************************************************************************************************************************

On her way out, she briefly passed by Rex. She had already told him in private about what she was going to do next, and he had respected her decision, stating that he would always be there for her if she called.

Ahsoka was glad to have Rex by her side, and she knew she could trust him to look after the others in her absence.

Glancing around the plains of Raada, Ahsoka spotted another person she needed to speak to. Sitting by himself in an opening was Maul. From the distance she stood, he appeared to simply be admiring the view.

But as she got closer, she realized what he was doing.

In his hands was the Sith holocron.

He made no move to open it. Instead he stared at it, his golden eyes almost burning a hole right through the artefact.

Ahsoka moved a quietly as she could, careful not to disturb him. Gently lowering herself to the ground next to him, Ahsoka spoke.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

Maul didn't move. He didn't turn to look at her. He didn't fiddle with the holocron.

He merely sat there, staring at it.

"I'm tempted to open it. To learn the secrets of the Sith of old, and to use them against my enemies, just as I was tempted to take Sidious' offer back on the battle station."

Ahsoka understood. For a very brief moment, Maul could have turned against her. He could have completely betrayed her trust for a false empty promise of power.

"But you didn't. You knew he was lying, and you refused. You are better than him because of it."

Maul moved this time, gently nodding his head whilst moving the holocron around in his hands.

"Tell me though Ahsoka. What do we do now? Sidious is dead. His battle station destroyed. What purpose do I have?"

It was rare for Maul to call her by her first name. He seemed to have adopted 'Lady Tano' as his designation for her, not that she minded. It was long passed being an insult to her.

The truth was that Ahsoka knew how Maul was feeling. Everything he had worked so hard to do was done now. His vendetta against Sidious was over. He had no reason to kill Obi-Wan anymore. Ahsoka had felt much the same after she had left the Jedi Order, and again when Order 66 had come around.

"You have to go and find your next purpose, whatever it might be. It will be hard, and you will find yourself struggling at times. But there is something out there for you to do. Besides evil of course."

Maul chuckled at her response. "Of course. Wouldn't want you coming after me now would I?

Ahsoka allowed herself to laugh at the Zabrak's rare humour. When he wanted to, Maul could be quite the character.

The two unlikely friends sat in silence for a few moments, before Maul scooped the holocron up in his hands and passed it over to Ahsoka.

"Take it. Get rid of it. Destroy it. I don't really care. Just get that damn thing out of my sight."

Ahsoka complied, taking the Sith holocron off of Maul and placing it in a pouch on her waist. She had an idea of what to do with it.

Silence filled the space between them again before Ahsoka spoke.

"Thank you for standing by me Maul. You didn't have to, but you did. I won't forget that."

Maul turned his eyes to Ahsoka's. "You are my sister through the force. I will come to your aid when you need it."

Ahsoka nodded her head before replying. "As would I yours brother."

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Maul had departed shortly afterwards, taking his ship and heading back to Dathomir, simply stating that he wanted to 'find himself' for a while, and no one had stopped him.

Practically everyone else had left too. The Ghost had left for Yavin, Galen Erso and the Wookies on board to explain what had happened. The clones and Cham Syndulla had gone with, as had Obi-Wan and Vos, and Miara Larte.

Kallus and Cassian had also departed with K-2SO aboard the Ghost, taking the reins of the Fulcrum network whilst Ahsoka was away, their captured Inquisitor in tow.

Ezra had left with the Mandalorians. Something about Sabine and Tristan's father had come up, and Ezra had left to help them.

So that just left Ahsoka with Kaeden, who had chosen to remain with Ahsoka for now.

The two sat on the fields of Raada, enjoying the encroaching sunset.

In her hands, Ahsoka now played with the Sith holocron as Maul had been doing. She would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted to open it once again. To have one last look at the information contained within it.

She nearly did as well. Reaching into the force, she began to picture the holocron opening.

And then Kaeden's voice interrupted her.

"What are you going to do with that thing?"

Ahsoka snapped back out of the force. She didn't want Kaeden to see her delve that deep into the darkside, lest she not be able to control herself.

Ahsoka turned her head to lock eyes with Kaeden. The dark-skinned human woman offered only compassion and love back, not judging her or arguing with her. Whatever Ahsoka decided, it was clear that Kaeden would support her.

"Destroying it is not an option. It would make the entire trip to Malachor pointless otherwise. And you never know when we might need to information on it again." Ahsoka answered, her tone quiet.

Kaeden hummed under her breath.

"I'm going to hide it where no one can ever find it, save for myself. Best way to keep it falling into the hands of someone like Sidious again." Ahsoka continued, gripping the artefact tightly in her hands, picturing the location she intended on leaving it at in her mind.

"Well then, where do we need to go?" Kaeden inquired, gesturing towards her ship.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

A short flight through hyperspace later, and Ahsoka and Kaeden found themselves on the planet they needed to be on.

Ahsoka had asked Kaeden to remain on the ship whilst Ahsoka dealt with disposing the holocron. It would help keep Kaeden safe in the long run.

And so, as the sun rose over Atollon, Ahsoka began her trek into the wilderness, in search of a very familiar entity.

Over an hour of walking later, she found herself approaching a familiar sunken area of terrain, one that housed many networked tunnels for the Krykna spiders that live on the planet.

As Ahsoka descended down into the open area, she spotted a set of what looked like rocks clustered together.

Except that she knew they weren't rocks. They were what she had come in search of.

The rocks began to shift in that instant, rising out of the ground with an echo.

And then before her he stood, towering above her both in height and in the force.

"I wondered if you would return former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano. It is good to see you well. I sense there has been a great shift in the force recently. You're doing no doubt?" The voice of the Bendu boomed as loud as it always had, emanating a strong tone of wisdom and advice, as well as compassion and willingness to listen.

"You would assume correctly Bendu. The Sith Master has been killed. Hopefully the force will begin to balance out once again." Ahsoka replied, gazing up at the monolithic figure before her. She had met him before, but he was still a mystery to her, one that filled her with wonder and awe.

"Balance is good. There must always be light and dark my friend, and I sense both in you. Have you learned to control your darkness yet?" The Bendu boomed, his voice taking on a questioning tone.

"Yes Bendu, I have. I walk in the shadows to serve the light, as I have always done. I know who I am now. Neither Jedi, nor Sith, but something else, something new, something…"

"Unique" The Bendu answered for her, a wide smile coming to his face as he spoke. "You have achieved balance then, but you still have a long way to go. But I sense this is not why you have sought me out this day."

Ahsoka shook her head in response, reaching down to the pouch on her belt and extracting the Sith holocron from it, holding it up in front of her.

The Bendu clearly recognized the artefact, his eyes glossing over the pyramid shaped object briefly before returning to Ahsoka's face.

"The holocron you acquired on your trip to Malachor? What would you have me do with it?" The Bendu inquired, his booming voice surprised.

"I want you to take it and to hide it, keep it out of reach of anyone. That way I'm not tempted by it any longer, and I know you will not use it for evil." Ahsoka replied, gesturing for the Bendu to take the holocron.

The giant force sensitive beast contemplated the holocron for a moment, before outstretching one of his large hands and summoning the holocron towards him, the holocron opening slightly as he did.

Through the force, Ahsoka could feel the darkside emanating from the holocron, the presence inside of it calling out to her.

"Are you certain Ahsoka Tano? I can sense your desire for it." The Bendu spoke, his voice as wise as ever, not judging her for being tempted at all.

Ahsoka closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and centring herself in the force. She didn't need the holocron. She didn't want the holocron.

Opening her eyes and pulling back out of her brief meditation, Ahsoka looked up at the eyes of the Bendu and spoke, determination in her voice.

"I don't need it anymore. It has taught me all it can. I want you to hide it."

A small smile came to the Bendu's face as he sensed the sincerity in Ahsoka's tone, before his large hand closed on the holocron, pulling it out of sight.

"Then I will ensure that it is never found again."

Ahsoka nodded, grateful for the Bendu's help. People may one day try to find the holocron and the secrets contained within it.

But now, they never would. It would be hidden and kept safe from the galaxy. The knowledge on it was too dangerous, and far too tempting. It had nearly cost Ahsoka her own sanity after all.

And with that, Ahsoka had completed what she had come to Atollon to do. Now she fully intended on taking her leave.

That was until the Bendu called out to her again.

"Tell me now Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Knight. What will you do with yourself?"

It was a heavy question, and one she had struggled with on the trip from Raada.

She could go on how she did, fighting for the rebellion and helping out her friends against the empire.

But after everything she had done, all the disasters she had faced, some part of her craved a break from all the death and chaos she had experienced since she was fourteen.

She had no intention of retiring of course, not yet at least. But for now, she wanted a break.

Naturally, Kaeden had agreed with her, and offered to come along on her new journey, and truthfully, Ahsoka was more than happy to let her and to see what could be with the two of them.

"Ever since I became a Padawan I have been fighting. Fighting for an army. Fighting for some politicians. Fighting for those that could not. And in doing so, I became too well known. I drew attention to myself and my friends. Some of them paid the price for that. It's time for me to return to the shadows for a while. That is where I operate best after all. As a shadow."

The Bendu chuckled lightly at her words.

"So you would run for now, only to return later when you are needed? You truly are beginning to achieve balance. I am almost concerned that you intend on stealing my place as a true neutral being."

Ahsoka smiled at the giant beast before her, allowing her humour to be felt through the force.

"Not run no. Merely find a new path for now. One where I can just be Ahsoka for a while, and not have to worry about anything else."

And with that, she turned her back to the Bendu, and began walking in the direction of Kaeden's ship.

As she climbed the small incline out of the area where the Bendu rested, the mythical creature spoke again, his booming voice echoing across the landscape.

"A new path is always good to seek Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Knight. I wish you the best. However, I predict that you will only last a week."

Ahsoka turned back around, her eyes locking onto the Bendu in confusion. What had he meant?

She decided to inquire. Was it a threat of some kind? An ominous warning?

Instead of reply that it was such, the Bendu boomed in laughter again before speaking.

"No my friend. I merely mean your rest will not last long. Your spirit craves adventure. It is in your blood. Sooner or later, you will seek out your next adventure, or it will find you."

Ahsoka would be lying if she denied what the Bendu was saying. Ever since she had been a child she had longed for an adventurous life. And she sure as well had had one so far.

And there was still much more of her life to live as far as she was concerned.

But as she thought back over the adventures she had, she began to understand.

There were many different types of adventure. Some where a person sought treasure. Others where they went on a quest to defeat a bad guy and save the day.

Ahsoka had had them all. All except for one.

Her gaze shifted back over the vast empty plains of Atollon, in the direction of Kaeden's ship. She was there, waiting for Ahsoka, ready to begin a new adventure with her.

Perhaps that was what her next big adventure was. One with Kaeden. A new adventure for her to have, and new things to discover.

Breathing in the fresh air of Atollon, Ahsoka nodded back at the Bendu, who bowed his head in respect, before returning to his slumber.

And with that, Ahsoka turned and began her long trek back to the ship.

To where her new adventure was waiting for her.

And honestly, she couldn't wait for it.

After all of her trials, all of her struggles, Ahsoka finally felt at peace. She knew who she was now.

She had had many names in her short life.

Commander. Ashla. Fulcrum. Padawan.

But now she would get to be Ahsoka.

And that thought alone was more than enough to keep her balanced for the years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it. Done. Finished. Complete. Mission accomplished.
> 
> How the flying hell did I do this? I said at the start that this story would be a marathon. I think we can mark that prediction down as accurate.
> 
> The ending was always going to be a challenge to write. In the space of one chapter I had to round up as many plotlines as I could.
> 
> However, when writing it I fell back on the one thing I had always said about this AU. It was Ahsoka's story, thus the entire epilogue is from her POV, and we only really resolve her story, as was the goal. Every other character was second to her in this AU, and thus I didn't really need to conclude their arcs there. That is what the one shots are for. So, any outstanding plotlines that exist will most likely be covered, so don't worry. But for now, I wanted to focus solely on Ahsoka's story arc coming to an end. Now that is not to say that she won't apper in the one shots. She will, just considerably less as a main character. :)
> 
> In regards to the one shots, I am now willing to reveal a few more teases of what will be seen. These include:
> 
> 1\. Sabine and Ezra rescuing Sabine's father  
> 2\. A Kanera and Kaesoka double date  
> 3\. Accelerated ageing in clones  
> 4\. Thrawn and Rukh  
> 5\. A James Bond spoof staring Alexsandr Kallus as the main character. (Includes #HotKallus jokes)
> 
> Let me know what you think you the ideas, and feel free to suggest some yourselves, or even have a go at writing them yourselves if you want. I have a notebook page of about 30 ideas at the moment, so plently to work from. :)
> 
> I do hope you all like how I ended this story though, and I hope you like the post epilogue scene was well.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who supported me through this story, whether you chose to comment or not. I'm sure there are some people who have been reading behind the scenes.
> 
> So I honestly don't really have much more to say. I will save most of my analysis of the story for the retropsective chapter which will be coming in about a week. That gives everyone who wants to read and reivew the epilogue a chance to. You don't have to read the retrospective. I am mainly doing it for myself to clear my head. If you want to, then I welcome you. As for any comments that this chapter or the next one get, I will also respond to them in the retrospective chapter.
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading, even if this is the first chapter of my story you have read. :)


	45. Post Epilogue - One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everything comes full circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Warning, this chapter was posted at the same time as the previous one. Go read the actual epilogue first before this chapter. Easy mistake to make. :)

Luke Skywalker couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the space of a year.

One day he was just a simple farmer, living with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, who he cared for very much.

The next thing he knew, he was wrapped up in something that was far beyond what he had ever imagined his life would have been like.

And it had all started with a knock at the door one evening.

Not sure what to expect, be it raiders or someone who was lost in the desert, his uncle had answered the door with much trepidation.

Waiting on the other side had been two men, dressed in long flowing robes and what looked to be tunics underneath.

Luke recognized the first man, even from the rumours he had heard of him. If the stories about the wilderness of Tatooine were true, this was the mysterious hermit known as Ben Kenobi. Practically everyone warned him to stay away from the man if he ever encountered him. People called him a wizard behind his back. Called him cursed and dangerous.

But seeing him up close for the first time, Luke wasn't really sure what to make of him. His eyes were friendly, but they clearly hid something from the world around them, and the way he looked at Luke was one that the young boy could only have described as guilt.

His compatriot was different. His face was one of humour right from the word go, and the yellow stripe that seemed to travel across both eyes of his only further made him look humorous.

After what was clearly an intense debate at the door between Ben and his uncle, and even his aunt, it had been the yellow striped man who had barged his way in, moving over to Luke and shaking his hand roughly, a smirk on his face, as if he was encountering some long lost friend.

Ben had been quick to chastise his compatriot, who Luke had then learned was called Quinlan Vos, before his aunt and uncle had relented, disappearing into another section of the house, leaving Luke alone with the two strangers.

It was then that things had changed.

Old Ben told a story, of the clone wars and the Jedi, revealing himself and Vos as survivors.

And then the bombshell has been dropped.

Luke was not the son of a cargo freighter pilot.

He was the son of a Jedi.

Ben told him the tale of Anakin Skywalker. Every last detail, the good and the bad. He discovered that his father, once the hero of the republic, had been corrupted by the Emperor and turned against his friends.

Luke had never had the chance to meet his father, let alone the monster he had become, so he couldn't truly form an opinion on the man. But the story of what had happened to not only him, but his wife, Luke's mother, very nearly broke the young boy.

"What happened to him in the end?" Luke had asked, inquiring about his father's fate. Both Ben and Vos talked about him in the past tense.

Ben had learned forward, placing his hand on the young Skywalker's shoulder in comfort, and given him an answer.

"All you need to know is that someone who loved your father very much put him out of his misery when I could not. He's free from his own tomb now."

Luke hadn't asked who exactly had killed the monster his father had become. He wasn't ready for that yet.

And then, Ben had dropped another bombshell, one he had been expecting even less than the first one.

He had a sister. A twin to be precise. One who lived on Alderaan. They had been separated from birth to keep them safe from malignant forces who would harm them. But now, said forces were gone, and apparently his sister wanted to meet him.

And Luke most certainly wanted to meet her.

So, against the wished of his aunt and uncle, and with promises to come and visit them again, his sister in tow, Luke left Tatooine for the first time with Ben and Vos.

A short trip through hyperspace later, and Luke had found himself on Alderaan. The planet couldn't have been more different from Tatooine. Whereas the desert planet contained nothing but empty dunes for miles, with the occasional settlement, Alderaan had large beautiful cities with sweeping mountains in the backdrop.

As he had stepped off of the ship Ben and Vos had used, they had been approached by two individuals. One was a man dressed in regal clothing, one that screamed politician, and judging by his interaction with Ben, it was clear they were old friends.

The second was an equally tall man who wore a mask that obscured his eyes. Attached to his belt was a long cylinder shaped object, one that resembled the stories of a lightsaber.

Another Jedi.

And then, a third figure had joined them.

She was shorter than Luke by perhaps an inch, but from the way her eyes lit up upon seeing him, he knew who it was.

His sister.

The girl had rushed over to him, wrapping him up in an embrace, sobs coming from her body as she relished the reunion.

Luke found that he felt the same.

Shortly afterwards, his sister, who he discovered was called Leia, had dragged him into the heart of Alderaan's capital, taking him to her residence, and practically locking both of them in her room.

The spent hours talking, comparing their upbringings and the people around them. Luke discovered that she too had been told the tale of Anakin Skywalker by a man named Kanan Jarrus, who Leia was quick to identify as the man with the mask.

It was then that Luke had learned that Kanan was blind because of an encounter with Vader. The same encounter that had led to his death.

Rather than get bogged down in depressing topics, the two had turned to more enjoyable ones. Luke discovered that Leia had grown up as the Princess of Alderaan. Quite the contrast to Luke's upbringing, not that he minded. His sister deserved the best, even if he had only just met her.

Leia had spent some time talking about her own honorary aunt was well, someone called 'Aunty Soka', and how Leia wished she would come and visit again, saying that she would like Luke.

Before they knew it, the siblings had spent the entire night talking, catching up for all the lost time they had. In the end, they ended up sleeping through most of the morning.

That was until a knock had sounded at Leia's bedroom door.

Waking up groggily, but no less full of enthusiasm, Leia had gone to answer it.

And that had been how Luke had met Ezra Bridger, a young boy only a few days older than them who was training to be a Jedi under Kanan.

Luke liked Ezra. He was fun and had a strong sense of humour, and was always willing to help those in need. The stories of the Jedi always made them out to be unfeeling machines, but Ezra couldn't have been further away from the stereotype.

The young Jedi had not been sent to chat however. Apparently, Ben had wanted to talk to them.

And so the twins had gone to see what the old hermit of Tatooine had wanted.

And boy it had been an offer.

Both he and his sister had the potential to become Jedi, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he now reintroduced himself as, offered to train Luke, whilst Vos had offered to train Leia.

Luke had accepted in an instant, wanting to help the galaxy, but also to honour the man his father had once been.

Leia had been more resistant at first. She was in training to become the next senator for Alderaan, once Bail Organa, her adoptive father, stood down.

But after a little bit of encouragement from Luke, Leia had agreed to be trained. She didn't want to fully commit to being a Jedi, but she agreed on at least learning how to tame her abilities in case she ever needed them.

And so the lessons had begun. Meditation was a common one. Luke seemed to enjoy it more than Leia did. In fact his sister was somewhat restless.

Sparring practice was different however. Luke had been given his father's old blade to use as a placeholder until he made his own. He didn't want to keep the saber. After all, it was his fathers, not his.

Leia had been gifted another saber, this one belonging to some man called Qui-Gon. When he asked Obi-Wan about it, he had only gotten a faraway look from Obi-Wan's eyes in response.

Vos had later filled him in on who Qui-Gon was, and Luke understood completely.

Obi-Wan had lost a lot in his life it seemed. Luke's heart screamed for the poor man.

Once both siblings possessed a blade for training however, things had begun to shift. It turned out that Leia was quite skilled with the weapon, swinging it in precise arcs with no training. When compared to Luke's lack of skills, it seemed that Leia had already been trained.

When in private later on, he asked his sister how she was so good.

"Aunty Soka used to let me practise with her lightsabers. I didn't realize the significance of them then though."

Luke didn't question Leia's statement. She was evidently fond of this 'Soka' person. Luke hoped that one day he would get to meet her and find out why Leia adored her so much.

And so the year had continued on. Luke and Leia continued to train when they could, occasionally joined by Ezra when they needed a sparring partner who was around their skill level.

And then, one day, a year after discovering the truth for the first time, the siblings had been given an opportunity of a lifetime.

A trip had been organized to an old Jedi temple found on a planet called Tython. Rumour had it that it was one of the original Jedi temples built so long ago.

And from what Obi-Wan had said, it was the perfect opportunity to acquire a kyber crystal.

And so, Luke and Leia, joined by Ezra, who whilst not seeking another crystal of his own but did want to investigate the temple himself, had set off to Tython, glee in their eyes.

Today was finally the day. They would finally get their kyber crystals and construct their own lightsabers. They would finally be proper Jedi in training.

As the three exited their shuttle, they couldn't help but be in awe of the temple before them. It was run down, it's stone pillars beginning to be overgrown with foliage that surrounded it. But it was still a majestic sight, and one that through the force he could feel.

Ezra had made a comment upon seeing the temple that confused the siblings.

"It's nice to come to a Jedi temple for a change."

Neither Luke nor Leia questioned what Ezra was speaking of, despite their interest. No doubt Ezra would tell them when he was ready.

The group of three had entered through the main entrance of the temple, navigating a long narrow hallway before they came across an open area that acted as a lobby.

Before them were three doors.

"Which way do we go?" Leia inquired, her voice confused. Luke had to agree. This was a good way to get lost.

"Listen to the force. Can you hear anything?" Ezra had replied, gazing around the room himself.

Leia closed her eyes briefly, listening intently as she had been taught, before they opened again, joy in her eyes.

"I heard a song. It was light and full of happiness. I think it's my kyber crystal."

Ezra had a warm smile on his face as he heard Leia speak, before turning his head to Luke, awaiting his response.

"I didn't hear anything. Guess my crystal's not close enough yet. Let's go get yours first Leia."

And with that, Leia had turned and led the way through one of the doorways, Ezra and Luke following.

They barely made it down the hallway before everything fell apart.

Literally.

The floor beneath their feet began to crack and fall apart, breaking away to a pit that went down into the darkness below.

Leia had made it past the gap, for which Luke was grateful.

Ezra was on the verge of it, and with a lucky jump and catch by Leia, was out of danger.

Luke however had no such luck. He happened to be dead centre of the crack, and thus plummeted into the darkness below, his sister and friend screaming out his name in horror as he fell.

Luckily, the fall wasn't as far as Luke had expected. He landed with a rough crash, no doubt bruising himself, but not breaking anything.

From above, he could hear his sister call out for him.

"Luke, are you ok? Luke?"

Coughing aloud to regain his breath, Luke answered.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Slightly bruised. You guys go on ahead, I'll find a way back up to you."

Ezra had shouted back down in confirmation, whilst Leia had ordered him to remain safe and find a way up, before they clearly departed from above of him, in search of his sister's kyber crystal.

Dusting himself off, Luke muttered.

"Sure, I'll find a way up. As soon as I figure out where I am exactly."

And then, he sensed movement behind him.

"I know where you are. You're with me."

The voice was feminine. Calm and collected even in the darkness. Through the force, Luke could feel a warm, if not conflicted presence, one that was both light and dark and for some reason made the hairs on his neck stand up.

Pivoting on his heels of his feet, he ignited his father's lightsaber, pointing it in the direction of the mysterious voice, illuminating the figure.

It took him a few seconds to identify the species. The blue light she was bathed in distorted the colour of her skin somewhat, but he soon figured it out.

She was a Togruta. A rather tall one at that. She wore what appeared to be armour, some clearly old, some clearly freshly built.

But what really caught his eye was what was attached to the armour that covered her thighs.

A pair of lightsabers.

Another Jedi?

"Who are you?" Luke called out, worry in his voice. He tried not to voice any weakness. But in his current situation, alone in the dark with a complete stranger who could quite possibly kill him, it was hard not to be. "Are you a Jedi?"

The Togruta woman shook her head, the warm smile that Luke had only just noticed never leaving her face.

"Not anymore. I haven't been for a very long time."

That confused Luke. The only person he was aware of that stopped being a Jedi was his father, and he had gone to the other extreme end of the spectrum.

Thus it was quite possible this figure had too.

"Are you a Sith then?"

Again, the Togruta shook her head, taking a single step towards Luke.

"I am neither Jedi nor Sith. I exist in the middle. Some would call me a Grey Jedi. Others an outcast. I merely call myself Ahsoka. And you, you are Luke Skywalker."

How this 'Ahsoka' knew his name was a complete shock. Had she been watching him or something? Stalking him?

"How do you know me?" Luke demanded, his saber inching forward slightly in the form of a threat.

But the Togruta was not fazed. Instead, she took another step towards him, the smile never leaving her face.

"We have never met Luke, but I know of you. And I also know your sister. She is like a niece to me, despite being completely different species."

Luke's eyes widened at the term 'niece'. After all that Leia had told her about her honorary 'aunty', Luke had not been expecting this.

"Are you the one she calls 'Aunty Soka'?"

A laugh came from the Togruta woman as she heard the name, a sense of familiarity coming through the force.

"I am. I never understood why she used that name to be honest, but in a way it does make sense. Anakin was like a brother to me. I'll always keep a piece of him close to me." The Togruta spoke, her hand coming up to gently caress what appeared to be a necklace she wore, one that held what looked to be an inert kyber crystal.

"You knew our father?" Luke couldn't help to ask in wonder. It was rare to meet someone who did. Obi-Wan was the twins' only real source of information, and he often kept it to himself because of his grief.

"He was my teacher when I was a Jedi. It's thanks to him that I have survived as long as I have, despite the monster he became."

That was the first time her face changed. Luke spotted a very brief look of hurt and pain cross her features, one that betrayed how she truly felt.

Obi-Wan had told him that someone who had loved his father dearly had put him out of his misery. Was it possible that this was the person who had?

"It was you who killed him wasn't it? Vader I mean?"

The Togruta did not hesitate. She simply nodded her head solemnly.

"Thank you. You put him out of his misery." Luke replied, angling his lightsaber away from harming her as he now approached her. Through the force, Luke could tell she was not a threat. That she would never in a million years harm him.

Her face changed again, a look of surprise at Luke's statement briefly crossing her features, before returning to a warm smile.

"It was hard. He was my best friend. But I did what I did for the safety of the galaxy. Anakin Skywalker was dead. Vader was merely his shell."

Luke would say he understood, but he had never met his father. He had no place to judge.

"So, why are you here then?" Luke inquired, his tone friendly towards what he deemed a family friend.

The Togruta glanced around the darkness, igniting one of her sabers in the process, bathing the area in white light.

"My partner found out some information regarding a holocron of great power being stored here. I came in search of it. I'm a bit of a collector these days." She replied. "What about you?"

Luke could feel her compassion, her love for her master's son. He saw now why Leia liked her so much. Luke felt safe around her. Something that was always welcome.

"In search of a kyber crystal, but I fell down here. Got separated from Leia and Ezra."

The Togruta's blue eyes widened briefly at the mention of both Leia and Ezra, before returning to normal, glancing around the darkness.

"Well then Luke, let us go in search of your crystal. And whilst we do, let me tell you all about Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. Two of the greatest people I have ever had the honour of meeting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!  
> :)


	46. Alternate Universe Retrospective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for a look back at this AU as a whole.   
> This is not a story chapter!   
> Sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before you go any further, those who are expecting this to be a new chapter of the story, stop! It is not that. The story is over. Instead, this is merely me, the author, rounding off this AU with a look at the series overall, as well as the main characters within it. If you don't wish to read it, that's fine. If you do, by all means go ahead.

Alternate Universe Retrospective

Roughly six months ago, I decided to write a fanfiction. At the time, I had only ever been a reader of such things. There were so many ideas out there, and so many variation of different stories that it was something of a nice escape from the harsh realities of life. But as time wore on, I began to want to write one of my own.

The only issue was that I was a coward. What if my story wasn't liked? What if I was a rubbish writer? What if I couldn't create a good story? All of these questions circulated round in my head for a long time, and I kept putting off writing one.

And then, one day I decided. Screw it. So what if no one likes it? I've never had a problem with people not liking me before. Why should it stop me now?

So I decided to go for it, regardless of what happened. But first I needed something to write about. After some experimenting within the Mass Effect universe, I settled on an idea, one that I had never really seen anyone else do.

I decided to write a fanfiction in which Ahsoka Tano killed Darth Vader. It all started with me wanting to change the one thing I disliked about 'Twilight of the Apprentice', that being the line of dialogue from Ahsoka, "I won't leave you, not this time." I was fed up with every character who knew Anakin seemingly forgiving him for his crimes as Vader, and I wanted to explore someone other than Leia, who didn't know Anakin, only Vader, being angry with him and wanting to kill him, and in my eyes, Ahsoka makes perfect sense. At the time, I thought it was a crazy idea, that people would loathe it because I killed Vader. But I pushed forward regardless. Who knew, maybe, just maybe, there would be one person who would like it. That would have been enough for me.

So I began to write my first proper story, 'The Former Apprentices'. Originally it was supposed to be one story and then I was done, but as I got through it and changed things on Malachor, I began to think of other ideas, ways of continuing the story. Furthermore, I got far more positive reviews about the story that I had expected, and it seemed that next to no-one (that I am aware of of course) was angry that I snuffed Vader. So I decided to plan out a sequel.

This very quickly took the form of 'A Tale of Two Fulcrums' a sort of side adventure that brought in Kallus and Thrawn as mainstays of this AU. This time round, I tried to focus more and more on the Rebel vs. Empire conflict, rather than Jedi vs. Sith. I think I did ok with it, even if it is my least favourite story out of the four I have written.

And then, when the second story was finished, I had discovered that I had inadvertently planned out a whole AU. Oops!

And so the third story came around, 'Vendettas and Strategems'. With this story, I tried to balance the more personal story with the Tatooine arc with the combat centric ones on Atollon via the use of the perspective switching technique, alternating out between characters until I brought them all together. By the end of the third story, I had set up all of the conflicts I wanted for what I planned to be the finale. If only I knew at the time how long it would have been.

And thus, I started writing my finale, and from the start I knew this one was going to be different from the others. Whereas the past three stories had essentially been rewrites of episodes of rebels that had aired, 'To Take Down an Emperor' was planned as an original storyline that didn't follow the events of rebels. Instead, I used inspiration from 'A New Hope', mixed with a bit of 'Rogue One', and the endgame to Mass Effect 2. Together, I aimed to create a series of small side stories to give every character a chance to shine, before promptly throwing them all into a suicide mission where not everyone would survive. In this aspect, I think I succeeded in writing a strong story, however in my opinion, the best elements of the fourth story came from Thrawn and his side story in finding out what the Death Star really was. Personally, I think that was the highlight of the story, rather than the suicide mission aspect.

And after 45 chapters, I was finally able to finish up my AU. It was a challenge to write, no question, but I have enjoyed every minute of it, even when I had writers block. I like to think that I am the sort of person who takes controversial ideas and shapes them into good plotlines. At least, that is the way I see it. I tried to be as original as possible, tackling ideas that no one else had yet.

All in all, I will miss this AU greatly, but at the same time I am glad it is done. I can now take a break for a bit before I begin work on the one shots I have planned. As for what comes next, (one shots aside) I am still trying to figure that out. An Anakin and Ahsoka related story will most likely come, (unless rebels reveals Ahsoka died at Vader's hands, in that case, fuck Anakin Skywalker!) but aside from that, I can't promise anything yet. I kind of want to try my hands at another universe, but rest assured more Star Wars is coming.

So yeah, thanks again for all of your support and help through this journey with me. It has been fun, and I hope you all join me for the one shots, and anything else I have planned.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Character Retrospectives

The Ghost Crew

The crew of the Ghost played a key role in this story, despite not being the protagonists in any of them. I love the Ghost crew. I personally think their story is one of the best in Star Wars. (yes, I like rebels more than clone wars… shoot me!)

I tried to give them all their due I this AU, but with the focus mainly on Ahsoka, I feel they were left out sometimes. To rectify that, they will appear in the one shots a fair amount, so yay.

However, I will talk about Kanan now. I am almost certain he is going to die in rebels, so I had him live here. Out of all of the Ghost Crew, he played the most significant role in this AU, being one of the four to face Sidious and then go on to help Obi-Wan and Vos with the Jedi Order. Kanan is my favourite rebels characters, and I will be sorry to see him go. (You already blinded the poor man Filoni! Don't kill him too! What's the point of blinding him if you're just going to kill him?!)

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Alexsandr Kallus

Kallus was the deuteragonist for the second story, and I had great fun writing him. I wanted to make him defect earlier in canon, and have more personal exposure to Thrawn, whilst also setting him up to play a key role as Fulcrum by having him meet Ahsoka. I feel that I succeeded, but that after that story concluded his importance diminished quite drastically. Thus, I gave him that epic scene on the bridge in the fourth story, and fully intend to have him feature in a multi part one shot series.

***********************************************************************************************************

Rex

Good old reliable Captain Rex. So many people love him, and for a while I couldn't understand why. Sure, he was loyal, but unlike Fives and Wolffe he had no real personality to me.

However, in writing this AU, I have come too really like Rex. I get it now. I know why people like him.

And thus, when I could have killed him, I chose not to.

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Darth Sidious

With Sidious, I tried to keep him as evil as I could, whilst also showing a new side to him. We have seen how he corrupted Anakin, and I wanted to explore that in a similar if not different way with his attempt to do the same to Ahsoka. After all, it makes sense that if he could no longer have Anakin, he would go for Anakin's apprentice right?

Still, in the end, he had to die. I only hope that you enjoyed the way he fell, and that is was believable.

*************************************************************************************************************

Maul

Maul's arc in this AU is not one of redemption, but more of him finding out that there is always another path he could take. By pairing him up Ahsoka, who like him had been cast aside by those she trusted, I was able to create an interesting dynamic. Over time, they began to trust one another, and very much see the other as their equal.

It is a shame then that we have not really seen them interact in canon. All of it is hidden either behind the unfinished scripts, or just not scene. Thus, I decided to take the characters and create something with them that was unique. An odd sort of friendship in a way.

And when it came time for Obi-Wan vs. Maul, I just couldn't kill him off. He was a different character by that point, and all he wanted was some help, for which Ahsoka gave.

And thus, a new Maul was born.

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The Eighth Brother

Oh boy, this guy. What a character. When the first story was being written, I decided to expand his role to give him more screen time. In canon, he receives about five minutes' worth, and I wanted to explore him some more. Say what you will about the Inquisitors, they are interesting characters who got short changed in rebels. (aside from the Grand Inquisitor of course)

That being said, originally, the Eighth Bro died on Malachor as he did in canon. It was only after I had finished writing the story that I decided to go back and change the last scene and have him survive. To begin with, it was done for giggles. I didn't know what I was going to do with him as a character, and so he sort of disappeared for a while.

That was until the third story came around. With the Sith holocron becoming important I decided to bring him back as a wild card character, one that you weren't sure what he was up to. For this, I used 'Transformers Primes' characterisation of Starscream as inspiration, and personally, I think it worked perfectly.

Having him go back to the empire (even if it was a deception) allowed me to further confuse everyone with him intentions. At points they weren't even clear to me. By the time I got to the ending, I still wasn't sure what to do with him. I only knew that I wanted him fate to be ambiguous to some extent.

Originally, I had him conscious when Sidious died, and when Ahsoka came to help him, he refused, pushing her away and forcing her to leave him. He would essentially call her out on all the things he does in the actual story, and then Ahsoka and team would leave him on the station. His fate would then be left ambiguous as to whether he got out in time. (spoilers, he would have)

But then I changed it, as I did with so many others things, at the last second, having him unconscious and thus carried out without his acceptance. This allowed me to put the last scene between him and Ahsoka in the Ghost instead, whilst still leaving his fate ambiguous.

So yeah, there were many different ways I could have taken his character, and he remains my favourite aspect of this AU. Unlike the others, I could do whatever I liked with him, as he has no real in depth canon screen time to develop a personality that I had to follow, unlike the next character in this review.

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Grand Admiral Thrawn

I never really saw what the deal with Thrawn was before he showed up on rebels. People always went on about him being the best character of all time, and I was worried that he might be slightly too overrated for me. Usually, I end up hating the fan favourite character, but love the one that is despised by the fans, even if said fans warm up to the character in the end. (case and point – Ahsoka)

That being said, when Thrawn showed up in season three, I was very surprised to find that he was in fact, awesome. I know some people don't really like rebels Thrawn, but I loved him. So it was only natural that he come across into this AU.

However, with a character like Thrawn I had to be very careful. Fans have a very specific interpretation of what Thrawn must be like, and I didn't want to deviate from that. So for his first appearance, I had him hardly show up at all, only doing so when necessary. I tried to show his analytical side mainly, showing how he deduces things from scraps of information, and showing that he is a long game planner.

And then for the third story I went to the opposite end of the spectrum, showing him as a military genius capable of eradicating an entire fleet of rebels. In the third story, he was at his most brutal.

But when it came time for the finale, I wanted to do something different with him, but still keep him Thrawn enough for the fans. By having him have his own arc in that story, he quickly became the deuteragonist of it. His quest to find out the truth, and help stop it in a way that he doesn't reveal his true agenda was great fun to write, and I only hope that it was well received.

So while I was scared at writing Thrawn (and still am), I feel that his arc is the best in this AU as a whole, and am greatly looking forward to continuing it with the one shots.

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Ahsoka Tano

And of course, I can't talk about the main characters of this AU and not mention Ahsoka.

Ahsoka is without a doubt, my favourite character in Star Wars, and I make no secret about it. I wanted to do a story for her because I felt that she was the character I would feel most comfortable writing for, and that I would enjoy doing it in the process. The only issue was figuring out what sort of story to write for her.

As you can see, I settled on a very personal story about her fighting her own inner demons. Throughout this AU, she is tempted again and again by the dark, as she struggles to maintain her position in the middle as best she can. At times she begins to shift in different directions, especially when her friends were threatened, but in the end I wanted to affirm the fact that unlike Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka has more personal balance. She is able to control her inner demons and not let them corrupt her. Furthermore, unlike Anakin, she does not rely solely on the support of her friends to keep her balanced. When everyone turned on her in canon, she didn't fall to the darkside, unlike her master. That is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of Ahsoka's character. She is her own person, completely independent.

Of course, if you have read this entire AU, you are also aware of the direction I took her personal life, specifically with her growing romance with Kaeden Larte. I was sceptical at first about doing a romance that wasn't Kanera, but I decided to challenge myself and write a compelling bond between Ahsoka and Kaeden. The Ahsoka novel didn't really do much to flesh out their bond aside from a few damsel in distress moments, and I wanted to explore what might have happened if they had met again in later life. This, coupled with Ahsoka's fluctuating mental state, allowed me to hopefully write a somewhat compelling, and not forced, romance. I guess you readers will be the judges of that.

In the end, when it came to the last story, I stated that many people would die. No doubt some of you were concerned about Ahsoka. Well, let me now put your minds to rest. In every single draft of the story, Ahsoka survived. She was one of two characters that I was never going to kill off (the other was Thrawn). The reason I chose this route is simple.

Ahsoka is my favourite character, and I have said time and again how against the idea of her dying I am, especially at Vader's hand. It is hard to explain just how much the character means to me. She came around at a difficult point of my life, and it was nice to finally have a character in Star Wars that I connected too. If she was to fall… I dread that my depression might just go to the extreme this time.

And to be honest, her dying at Vader's hands makes no sense in my eyes. If she does, not only does it undermine Kenobi's sacrifice in 'A New Hope' by being another one of those heroic sacrifice moments, but it wastes a golden opportunity to explore a story that has not been taken yet. We've had the one Vader killed. We had the one who 'redeemed' Vader. What we haven't had is the one who knew Anakin, and survived Vader. Out of all the characters who have encountered Vader, I strongly believe that Ahsoka should be the one to survive him and live to tell the tale. That way we get to see the emotional aftermath of it.

Plus killing her off would be entirely predictable and stupid, as well as the easy option, something which Filoni has said time and again he will never take. (let us see if he upholds his word)

So no, I do not want Ahsoka dead. I want her alive in her Togruta form. Not a force ghost, nor some sort of spiritual entity as all the mortis theories seem to suggest. I want her alive. Or else!

Most of you will no doubt disagree with me, saying that she should die to be tragic and fit into that familiar loop of storytelling in Star Wars. That being said however, I wonder how many of those people also complained about 'Force Awakens' being 'A New Hope 2.0'.

Right, rant over. Sorry about that. It wasn't intended to cause offense, so sorry if it did. I respect your opinions none the less. (unless you violently disagree with mine and get hostile with me, in that case…)

So yeah, Ahsoka is my favourite, so I wrote a story about her. Hope you liked it.

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Final Summary

And so this retrospective thing draws to a close. Once again I just want to express my gratitude to those that had read and reviewed my story, whether it be from day one or in the middle of this story. You guys are the best, and you made me feel wanted. I only hope that you enjoyed this AU as a whole, and that you are looking forward to the one shots I have planned.

Speaking of which, since you have just sat through about 3000 words of me giving an author's note, have some more teasers as to what is to come in the one shots.

1\. The bleeding process of kyber crystals

2\. Galen Erso searching for his daughter

3\. The darksaber

4\. The treatment of scars (featuring Kanan, Ahsoka and Ezra's scars)

5\. Zeb attempting to set Kallus up on a date. (even more #HotKallus jokes)

So yeah, hope those spark your interest.

So this review is pretty much over now. And since the story is maybe now I can begin to get back to reading other people's fanfic for a while, especially those written by my fellow authors who kindly reviewed my stories. I will read pretty much everything, so no worries there people. However, I have only one request. If Ahsoka is in your story and you intend to either kill her or have her dead at any point in any way, warn me away please. I don't want to risk spiking my depression, even with a fanfic. Sorry.

That being said, it is your story, and you are entitled to write what you want. That is the beauty of fanfiction, as I have now discovered. Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed, or just read. It means more than I can say in words, truly.

So now that is over, I just want to say thank you again. You have all been great, and I have had fun writing this story. At the start I mainly did it for personal reasons, and to create a story with an idea that has been rarely done. But as I progressed further, I did this AU for you all, so I could see your reactions to it. So thank you. Hopefully the one shots will come soon.

May the force be with you (unless you are a sith of course... or an imperial)

Till next time  
SirLoozElite


	47. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple update, not a chapter. Sorry.

Firstly, this is not a new chapter. Sorry.

Instead, this is simply an update informing everyone who wants to know that I have begun posting my one shot series that I was talking about. It is simply entitled, 'The One-Shot Saga'. Check my profile if you wish to read it.

I was concerned that some people may have missed it being uploaded, so I just wanted to confirm for you all here in case you didn't know but were waiting for me to begin uploading them.

Hope you are all well. Thanks again for your support through the AU as a whole. I hope you like the ones shots.

Gratefully

SirLoozElite

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment/speculate/leave questions for me. I always enjoy reading what you have to say, whether it be what you liked or didn't like.


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